Beauty and the Beast
by Regina the Queen of Random
Summary: Jennifer Reed is the only teacher at Bayville High who accepts the X-Men. One day she meets the man she replaced at the school, Hank McCoy - the Beast.
1. Ms Reed

Queen of Random: I'm back, and (hopefully!) better than ever! I've been kinda busy, as I have found a new addiction: The Beyond Evolution forum! I love it!  
  
Anyway, this is a story that just came to me when I was trying to recall a dream I had had the previous night. It turned out that the dream was about me going to my Ball with Pietro Maximoff, and, for some weird reason (and yes, I know that dreaming about going to a Ball with Quicksilver is weird) it was kinda like a double date, as a girl from my Biology class was going with Pyro, and she kept asking why I kept calling her date Pyro (she was calling him John). The really funny thing was, the first thought that went through my head after I walked through the door with Pietro was, 'Candles. Damn.'  
  
Now, on with my random as story! Oh, I don't own X-Men: Evolution, Beyond Evolution (which is, in my opinion, one of the best X-Men: Evolution sites out there!) and apologies to Disney for the title.  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter One: Ms Reed  
  
"Where is Evan Daniels?"  
  
The teacher looked up and down her class list, her hazel eyes, framed by her glasses, worried. She looked up at the class, and repeated, "Where is Evan Daniels? He has not been in class for the last few days. Is he all right?"  
  
"Like we care about some mutant," muttered a student in the back.  
  
The teacher frowned. "Your personal opinions are your own, Mr Holmes, and I must respect them, but I must warn you that you are not to repeat things like that again. At least, not in this classroom."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Well," sighed the teacher, "if I am not going to get any answer about Mr Daniel's whereabouts, then I must insist that we get on with Chemistry. So if you will all turn to page fifty-six in your book, we will continue where we left off yesterday." The teacher turned so that her back was facing the class, and she was facing the board. "Now an ester is formed when. . ."  
  
Kurt sighed, and turned to page fifty-six in his book, and listened to what the teacher had to say.  
  
*  
  
Kurt tried to leave the classroom as quickly as possible, but as he could not use his mutant powers, he was confined to walking, just like everybody else.  
  
"Mr Wagner," called the teacher. "May I have a word with you before you go?"  
  
Kurt turned around and walked over to the teacher's desk. "Sure," he said, trying to sound cheerful. "What is it?"  
  
The teacher leaned back against her desk. "It's about Evan. I'm really very worried about him. Is he all right? You can tell me, Kurt."  
  
"Nothing's wrong with, Ms Reed," answered Kurt. "He's just. . . sick, that's all." Kurt hated lying to Ms Reed, as she was the nicest teacher in the school, and the only one who showed no sign of dislike for mutants. The funny thing was that she was the replacement for Hank McCoy, and had filled the position when he 'disappeared'.  
  
Ms Reed sighed. "All right, Kurt. You may go now."  
  
*  
  
Kurt left the room, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. "That was close."  
  
Although Ms Reed was sympathetic towards mutants, Kurt still didn't know how she would react if he told her that Evan was now living underground, because his body was starting to be covered in bony growths resembling scales.  
  
Kurt looked at his watch. "Ach! I'm late!"  
  
He looked around the hallway, and spotting no teachers or students, disappeared in a puff of sulfurous smoke.  
  
*  
  
Kitty ambled to the front door of the Institute to answer it. "Ms Reed! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Is Professor Xavier in?" asked Ms Reed. "I would like to speak with him."  
  
"Ah, Ms Reed," said a voice. Professor Xavier and Logan came into the room. "How can we help you here?"  
  
Ms Reed smiled. "I want to discuss with you one of your students here at the Institute."  
  
Xavier nodded. "Of course, Ms Reed. Why don't you follow me? Logan," he said, turning to face the man, "could you please find Hank, and help him with the newer students. Thank you."  
  
Logan nodded, and stalked off, ignoring the presence of the young teacher.  
  
*  
  
"Now, Ms Reed," began Xavier, once they were alone in the library. "I know what you wish to speak to me about."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes. Evan Daniels. You are worried about him, as he has not been at school for the past few days, correct?"  
  
"How did you know?" asked Ms Reed. Then she blushed. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you were a telepath. I tend to do that sometimes, forget that people are mutants."  
  
"I'm sure the students do not mind when you treat them just like all the others," replied Xavier, smiling. "They need some form of normality in times like these."  
  
Ms Reed smiled back. "Of course they do. They are still children, after all, and they do not deserve to be treated like monsters." Ms Reed's expression sobered. "But that is getting off the point. I am here to speak to you about Evan. He has not been at school for the past few days. I am quite concerned about him. Is he all right?"  
  
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Ms Reed," began Xavier, "but Evan will not be returning to school."  
  
"Has he returned to New York?"  
  
"No. Do you know of his mutation, Ms Reed?" asked Xavier.  
  
"I know a little about it," answered Ms Reed. "We - the teachers, I mean - are told all about the powers of the students who are part of the 'mutant menace', if you'll excuse me for saying that. That is what several of the faculty are calling the students."  
  
"Principal Kelly is the instigator of such feelings?"  
  
"I would rather not say," replied Ms Reed, "but I'm sure a powerful telepath like you already knows what I am thinking." She smiled.  
  
"Evan's mutation has caused the growths that emerge from his skeleton to become more permanent in nature. They now make it appear as though Evan has scales all over his body."  
  
"Poor Evan," murmured Ms Reed.  
  
"Unfortunately for Evan, not every human in this world is as understanding as you. Because of this, Evan felt that he could not live in a world that is predominantly human, and so he has left the Institute."  
  
Ms Reed was silent for a moment, and Xavier could see tears well up behind the glasses. Then she spoke. "I knew something was wrong. All of the students from the Institute were so quiet. I remember thinking that they were in a state of shock. Now I know why. Poor Evan," she repeated. Ms Reed looked down at the floor, then at Xavier. "I will inform the other teachers at the school that Evan will not be returning to school."  
  
Ms Reed then rose from her seat, and Xavier proceeded to show her the way out. 


	2. Matchmaking Plans

Queen of Random: I've got reviews, I've got reviews, I've got reviews! And Hank isn't even in the story yet! But I'm sure you guys have all figured out what's going to happen, right? Well, if you haven't, I'm not going to tell you! But, just so you know, here comes the Beast, as well as some scheming from some teenage meddlers!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Two: Matchmaking Plans  
  
"I appreciate your concern for Evan, Ms Reed," said Xavier, at the front door of the Institute. "And I'm sure the other students appreciate it as well."  
  
"As I said earlier, Professor Xavier, they are still children." Ms Reed smiled. "Of course, I am sure that they do not like being referred to as children."  
  
"That's true," interrupted a deep, male voice. "They are on the verge of adulthood, and so are not children."  
  
Xavier looked at a point behind Ms Reed. "Ah, Hank. I would like you to meet Jennifer Reed, a teacher down at the school. Ms Reed, this is Hank McCoy. He used to teach at Bayville High. At least, until he came here."  
  
Ms Reed turned around, but said nothing when she saw the man referred to as the Beast.  
  
"I am sorry if my appearance disturbs you, Ms Reed," said Hank.  
  
Ms Reed shook her head, blushing. "Oh, no, Mr McCoy. It is not that. I just had a flash-back to my university days, when I was studying Anthropology, as well as Chemistry. I couldn't help but think, 'Do his knees lock?' Referring to, of course, the trait which allowed humans to become bipedal," added Ms Reed.  
  
Hank's large, beast-like, blue face split open in wide smile. "I never thought I would hear that, even here, Ms Reed."  
  
Ms Reed smiled. "Call me Jennifer, Mr McCoy."  
  
"Then I insist that you call me Hank, Ms Reed."  
  
Ms Reed smiled again, lighting up her face. "Then I will, Hank," she said, extending a hand to Hank.  
  
"And I, you, Jennifer," replied Hank, taking Ms Reed's hand, which was dwarfed in his massive blue one.  
  
Xavier raised an eyebrow at this exchange, but said nothing.  
  
"Professor!" called a voice, which sounded as though it was Amara.  
  
"Excuse me," said Xavier. "I must attend to this small matter. Hank? Will you be so kind as to show Ms Reed the way out?"  
  
Hank smiled. "It would be an honour."  
  
*  
  
"Hey, Kurt! Look at that!" Kitty nudged Kurt as they looked down from a balcony to the drive of the Institute.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Down there!" Kitty pointed out the large blue figure, and the smaller, female figure walking beside it.  
  
"Is that Ms Reed and Mr McCoy?" asked Kurt.  
  
"I'm not sure," replied Kitty. "Can you get us closer?"  
  
"Sure." And with that, he grabbed her hand, and the next moment they were behind a tree, listening to what the two adults were talking about.  
  
"Yes, A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favourite's, but my very favourite one would have to be The Winter's Tale," said Ms Reed.  
  
"The story of Perdita, and the tragedy surrounding her birth," replied Hank.  
  
"That's the one. Have you ever seen it performed live? It is amazing!"  
  
"What are they talking about?" asked Kurt.  
  
"Shakespeare, I think. Isn't this so cute!"  
  
"Isn't what so cute?"  
  
"Ms Reed and Mr McCoy seem to be getting on really well! Don't you think they are perfect for each other?" asked Kitty.  
  
"They are both teachers," replied Kurt, "so I don't know what to think."  
  
"Come on, Kurt! I thought you liked Ms Reed!"  
  
"I do," answered Kurt. "But her and Mr McCoy. . . ugh." Then he saw the smile on Kitty's face. "Oh, no, Kitty! I'm not helping you get them together!"  
  
"Oh, come on, Kurt! I won't make you do much! Just take me back to the building, and I'll tell you all about my plan."  
  
Kurt shook his head. "I knew hanging out with you was going to get me in trouble one of these days."  
  
*  
  
Kitty approached Ms Reed the next day after Chemistry.  
  
"Kitty. What can I do for you?" asked Ms Reed.  
  
"I was wondering. . . what do you, like, think of Mr McCoy?"  
  
Ms Reed's eyebrows shot up. "Well, Kitty, I can tell you right here and now that I was not expecting that question."  
  
"Well, Kurt and I heard you talking-"  
  
"Eavesdropping, you mean." Ms Reed smiled. "Teleporting and phasing must allow you to hear some very interesting things."  
  
Kitty blushed. "Caught, huh?"  
  
"Big time."  
  
"Well, what do you think of Mr McCoy?"  
  
Ms Reed began shuffling some papers on her desk, obviously uncomfortable with the way the subject was going. "To put it one way, he is unlike any man I have ever met before. How's that?"  
  
Kitty smiled. "Perfect."  
  
*  
  
Kitty caught up with Kurt at lunch in the cafeteria, where he was devouring a burger. "Operation: Chemistry is good to go."  
  
"I can't believe you named it that. All you are doing is playing matchmaker," said Kurt.  
  
"No, we are playing matchmaker. You are helping me, remember?"  
  
"How could I forget? But you should know, I don't like the idea of playing matchmaker."  
  
"Who's playing matchmaker?" asked a voice. Amanda was standing behind Kurt.  
  
"Amanda! No one's playing matchmaker. Kitty's just got this crazy idea in her head about two people she thinks are a good match."  
  
Amanda sat down next to Kurt. "Who?"  
  
"We're trying to set Ms Reed up with someone," answered Kitty.  
  
"Can you try to explain to her that we should not be messing with a teacher's love-life?"  
  
"With who?" asked Amanda, leaning forward with interest.  
  
Kitty grinned. "Let's just say that you are not the only one who has a thing for blue."  
  
Amanda's eyes widened. "Mr McCoy?"  
  
Kitty nodded. "Yes! What do you think?"  
  
Amanda looked at Kurt, who was busy shaking his head, then at Kitty. "I'm in." 


	3. An Invitation

Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Three: An Invitation  
  
"All right," said Kitty. "Here's what we are going to do. We are going to get Ms Reed to come back to the Institute again, but to see Mr McCoy."  
  
"How are we going to do that?" asked Kurt, having given in to the idea of getting two of their teachers together.  
  
"Well, I've been thinking about that," said Amanda, "and I've got an idea."  
  
"What are we going to do, write a note to Ms Reed, and pretend it's from Mr McCoy?" asked Kurt, exasperated.  
  
"I was thinking more along the lines of an e-mail," Amanda told her boyfriend. She looked at Kitty. "From Mr McCoy's e-mail address."  
  
Kitty grinned. "I can do that. Now, what should this e-mail say?"  
  
*  
  
"Mr McCoy?" asked Kitty. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"You have just asked me something, Kitty." Hank smiled. "But you may ask me another."  
  
"What do you think of Ms Reed?"  
  
"What do I think of Jennifer? She is a remarkable woman," said Hank.  
  
"Do you like her?"  
  
"What are you getting at, Kitty?" asked Hank.  
  
"What do you think of Ms Reed?" repeated Kitty.  
  
"She is unlike any woman I have met before, and one of the few humans who do not believe that we are monsters. You are very lucky to have her as a teacher."  
  
"Did she tell you that she was the one who replaced you when you left the school? She's our Chemistry teacher."  
  
Hank nodded. "Yes, she did. She also told me that she has had a lot of trouble because of you and the other students here."  
  
Kitty laughed nervously. "She did, huh?"  
  
"She did."  
  
"Well, would you like to see her again?"  
  
"I would be pleased to see someone like her again."  
  
Kitty shook her head. "You're no help," she muttered to herself.  
  
*  
  
Ms Reed sipped from a cup of coffee as she turned on her home computer to access her e-mails. The look on her face was that of pleasant surprise when she saw that one of the e-mails came from someone at the Xavier Institute  
  
"Hank McCoy? Well, I did not expect that."  
  
She opened the e-mail and read it, her smile widening with every word she read. Then she sat back in her chair.  
  
"I might just have to accept your invitation, Hank McCoy."  
  
*  
  
Amanda and Kurt leaned over Kitty's shoulder as she sat in front of the computer.  
  
"Did it go through?" asked Amanda.  
  
Kitty nodded. "Now we just have to sit back and, like, let the magic begin."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
The three teenagers turned around. "Hey, Rogue," said Kitty. "We were just sending an e-mail."  
  
Rogue peered at the screen. "Using Mr McCoy's e-mail address?"  
  
Kitty nodded vigorously. "We were just sending an e-mail to Ms Reed."  
  
Rogue looked at them squarely. "Why?"  
  
"The girl's are playing matchmaker," replied Kurt.  
  
"Then why are you sending her an e-mail from Mr McCoy's address?" Then it clicked. "You are not. . . are you?"  
  
The girls grinned, and Kurt shook his head. "Yes! What do you think?"  
  
"I think you are going to be in a lot of trouble if either of them find out what you three are up to."  
  
Kitty frowned. "You are no fun, Rogue." To Amanda and Kurt she said, "We are just going to have to wait and see what happens next." Kitty smiled. "But I don't think we have anything to worry about."  
  
Kurt swallowed. "You are evil, Kitty." 


	4. A Personal Visit

Queen of Random: I don't really have much to say for this chapter, except a short explanation. For the first section of this story, Ms Reed is referred to as, well, Ms Reed. That is because she is often with her students, who would address her formally. However, as she is now on first name terms with Hank McCoy (for whom I have used the first name for the story, except when addressed by a student), she will be called by her first name, Jennifer, when she is alone with him, and not in the direct presence of a student - although there may be some more eavesdropping from Kitty and Kurt.  
  
As usual, I don't own X-Men: Evolution, or anything else, as I am poor. I am actually trying to save money for a school trip to Germany, so any (legal!) ideas for raising money would be helpful. Please note that at this point in time, the New Zealand dollar is about 0.5 Euros.  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Four: A Personal Visit  
  
Scott opened the door to find Ms Reed standing there. "Ms Reed! What are you doing here? No one is in trouble, are they?"  
  
Ms Reed laughed. "No, Scott. This is more of a personal visit, rather than business. I'm here to see Hank. Is he around?"  
  
"Mr McCoy?" asked Jean, coming up behind Scott. "I think he is just finishing a training session with the newer students. They're out back." Jean smiled at the teacher. "If you want, I'll take you to him."  
  
"Thank you, Jean."  
  
"All right then, Ms Reed. Follow me."  
  
*  
  
Kitty opened her bedroom door and headed out into the hallway, just in time to see Jean and Ms Reed head out back. Grinning hugely, Kitty ran down the hallway and phased through a closed doorway.  
  
"Kitty! Don't you ever knock? I could be changing in here!"  
  
"Sorry, Kurt, but this is important!"  
  
"What is so important that you risked coming in here without knocking?"  
  
"Ms Reed's here! And I think I know why!"  
  
"To see Mr McCoy!"  
  
"You're a genius, Kurt. Now teleport us to the backyard, now!"  
  
BAMPF!  
  
*  
  
"Mr McCoy!" called Jean. "Are you out here?!" Jean turned to Ms Reed. "I'm sorry, but they must not be out here. Maybe if you just-"  
  
"Watch out! Cannonball!"  
  
Jean and Ms Reed leapt out of the way just in time to avoid being hit by Sam, who was flying through the air in his trademark, 'I-can't-control-this- thing-so-just-get-out-my-way!' fashion. He ended up by crashing through a wall that was in his path.  
  
"What was that?" asked Ms Reed.  
  
"That was Sam," replied Jean. "You can see why we call him Cannonball."  
  
"Yes," replied Ms Reed, shaken up somewhat.  
  
"Cannonball!" called a voice. "Are you all right?!"  
  
Sam rose from the debris, swaying a little bit, but all right. "I guess so."  
  
Ms Reed's eyes were wide as a group of students ran to Sam, including a boy made entirely of ice. The ice disappeared, revealing Bobby.  
  
"Hey, Ms Reed! What are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"Feeling very confused," replied Ms Reed. Then she saw Mr McCoy ambling up towards the students. "I do not understand how you put up with that." She placed her hands on her hips. "And I thought it was hard enough trying to control them at school."  
  
Hank laughed. "Nothing is ever what it appears to be here at the Xavier Institute."  
  
"Now I know why. Are all these 'training sessions' like this?"  
  
"No!" interrupted Bobby. "This was an easy one. You should see what we get up to in the Danger Room."  
  
"Now, Iceman," reprimanded Hank. "I think Ms Reed has seen and heard enough about our 'extra-curricular activities', don't you agree?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"That's better." Hank smiled at Ms Reed, having dealt with Bobby. "Now, what can I do for you, Jennifer?"  
  
"I came to see you," replied Ms Reed, ignoring the giggles and whispers coming from the students.  
  
"All right, students, back inside," ordered Hank.  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts. Berzerker, Magma, you two help Cannonball."  
  
The two students immediately went to Sam's side, and tried to pick him up, but they dropped him.  
  
Hank sighed. "Sunspot, give them a hand."  
  
Roberto nodded, smiled at Ms Reed, and almost seemed to become a living inferno, except he was merely gaining energy from the sun. He waltzed up to Amara, Ray and Sam, and with an attempt that seemed to be effortless, picked Sam up. He carried Sam over his shoulder as he walked away.  
  
"Now, the rest of you, back inside," ordered Hank. Jean and Bobby started to walk away. "That includes you, Multiple." Jamie lowered his head and started to walk away.  
  
*  
  
"Now, what is it you wished to see me about, Jennifer?" asked Hank, once the two of them were alone. "We can talk as we walk back to the mansion."  
  
"I received your e-mail," replied Jennifer as they began walking.  
  
Hank stopped and looked at Jennifer. "I did not send you an e-mail."  
  
"Then why did I-" Jennifer stopped suddenly. "I think this is a set up."  
  
"I agree," replied Hank. "And I think I know who by."  
  
"Kitty," said Jennifer. "She seemed very interested in knowing what I thought of you."  
  
"And the same of me." Hank smiled. "I think it was she who orchestrated this meeting."  
  
"But she could not do this alone," finished Jennifer. "I doubt Kitty could keep something like this a secret for long."  
  
"You are right. But who has she taken into her confidence.?"  
  
"I think I know who," answered Jennifer. "She mentioned that she and Kurt heard us talking-"  
  
"Eavesdropping, you mean."  
  
Jennifer smiled. "That is exactly what I told her. I think that Kurt is in on it." Jennifer smiled even wider. "But do you want to know something? I'm actually quite pleased about the way this has turned out. Don't you agree, Hank?"  
  
"You are absolutely right, Jennifer," replied Hank, also smiling.  
  
Behind a tree, Kitty and Kurt hi-fived each other. 


	5. Do you Waltz?

Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Five: Do you Waltz?  
  
"This is a wonderful place, Hank," remarked Jennifer, looking around the library. The faint strains of classical music filled the room. "There are so many books here. . . I could stay here for weeks, maybe months, and not get bored. There are so many books," she repeated, shaking her head in wonderment.  
  
"Yes, there are," replied Hank, smiling.  
  
As the two adults conversed, they were unaware that they had company listening through a crack in the doorway.  
  
"Shove over, Kurt!" hissed Kitty. "I want to see!"  
  
"It's my turn!" replied Kurt, shoving Kitty back. "Besides, there's nothing really to see."  
  
"Than you won't mind-" shove "-letting me have a look then, will you?"  
  
"Well, I may say, Hank, that I do not mind spending time with someone like you."  
  
The sound of Jennifer's voice stopped any further arguments between Kitty and Kurt.  
  
"From what I heard when I first arrived at Bayville High, you were a very popular teacher, and well liked by the students. I wish I received that much respect from my pupils."  
  
"Why? Don't they like you?" asked Hank.  
  
Jennifer sighed. "I am not that popular amongst the faculty for my views on mutants. The students also do not like me that much because of my views. The only students I would say do like me, are the mutants, and it is because of that that the human students say that I am biased towards the mutants."  
  
"But you are human yourself, aren't you, Jennifer?" asked Hank.  
  
"Yes, I am. And that is what makes my life quite hard. Not as hard as the life of a mutant, perhaps, but still difficult at least."  
  
"You are right. Being a mutant is hard. Especially when you look," said Hank, lowering his head, "as I do."  
  
Jennifer walked over to Hank, and sat in the chair next to him. "What do you mean, as you look? I think you look very handsome." Having spoken those words, Jennifer turned bright red, embarrassed.  
  
"You do?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"You are very kind, Jennifer," said Hank. "But not all the world sees me the way you do."  
  
"But it is a start," replied Jennifer.  
  
The song being played on the stereo changed, and Jennifer smiled. "Johann Strauss' Rosen aus dem Suden. I love this piece."  
  
Hank rose from his chair, and extended a hand to Jennifer. "Do you waltz, Jennifer?"  
  
Jennifer smiled. "I do," she replied, taking the hand.  
  
"Are they dancing?" asked Kitty.  
  
"Yes, they are!"  
  
"Oh, how romantic! We are the greatest matchmakers ever!"  
  
*  
  
"Are you sure that you will not be staying for dinner, Jennifer?" asked Hank. "I am sure that the students will not mind having company."  
  
Jennifer smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that I have to be going now. Besides, their would be even more suspicion, and accusations of favouritism, if it was known that I was spending my free time with the mutant students."  
  
"You are probably correct, Jennifer. But know that you are most welcome to return. It is very rare that I have the company of someone like you these days."  
  
"I'm sure the daily problems of adolescence can be, well, annoying," replied Jennifer. "But it is probably more annoying when those same adolescents turn their attentions on the problems in your lives," she finished.  
  
Hank smiled. "You are right. But at least a only teach a few students these days, unlike you."  
  
Jennifer laughed. "So true! Perhaps I need to get out more, if my attention is only on my students. That reminds me," she added. "I have recently come into possession of some tickets to the ballet. A company from Russia are performing Swan Lake on Saturday night. Perhaps you would like to join me?"  
  
"I don't know what to say, Jennifer."  
  
"Then how about 'Yes'?"  
  
Hank smiled again. "Yes. I will go to the ballet with you."  
  
"I will call you with more details later on in the week. Does that suit you?" asked Jennifer, beaming.  
  
"That would be perfect."  
  
"All right, then," replied Jennifer. She looked up to top of the stairs in the foyer. "Oh, and Kurt? Don't forget about the test tomorrow!"  
  
"Oh, man! I completely forgot!"  
  
"Goodbye, Hank," said Jennifer, before walking away.  
  
*  
  
As soon as Hank reentered the mansion, having said goodbye to Jennifer on the doorstep, he was bombarded by the voices of the students.  
  
"All right!"  
  
"Go, Mr McCoy!"  
  
"Chicks dig fuzzy dudes, right?"  
  
"You are the man, er, the Beast, Mr McCoy!"  
  
"All right, all right," said Hank. "Enough of this nonsense."  
  
"But she asked you out, Mr McCoy! That is not nonsense," called Bobby.  
  
"Yeah!" added Kurt. "You've got a date with her!"  
  
"Jennifer and I are not going out on a date," replied Hank. "She just asked me to accompany her to the ballet."  
  
"Are you going to dress up?" asked Amara.  
  
"The ballet is a formal event."  
  
"Will you go get something to eat?" added Kitty.  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
"Then you are going out on a date with Ms Reed!" chorused everyone.  
  
Realization stuck Hank like one of Ororo's lightning bolts. Then he sighed. "It appears as though I am indeed going out on a date with Jennifer."  
  
"Just one question, Mr McCoy."  
  
"Yes, Tabitha?"  
  
"What are you going to wear?!" cried everyone. 


	6. Tale as Old as Time

Queen of Random: It seems that there are quite a few people reading my story! One person put it best when they said: Beast gettin' some lovin' is always great. Thanks, Pearl! And to all the other people who have reviewed this story! 

Now, to disclaim. I do not own anything. I am poor. I do not even have my own computer - I just carry a whole bunch of disks around with me wherever I go! Anyway, in this chapter, Hank and Jennifer go on their date!

Beauty and the Beast

Chapter Six: Tale as Old as Time

"I'll get it, I'll get it!" cried Jamie as he ran to get the door early on Saturday night. However, he slipped on a patch of ice, and hit the wall. Several Jamies got up, gingerly touching their bruises.

"Honestly!" said Kitty, phasing through the crowd of tweens to open the door. "Ms Reed!" she remarked, eyes wide when she opened the door. "You look. . . wow."

Ms Reed smiled. "Thank you, Kitty. Is Hank ready yet?"

"I don't know," replied Kitty. "Last I heard, someone said he looked like he was about to have a heart attack."

"Oh, dear."

"But that doesn't matter!" said Kitty. "All that matters is that you're here, and he's here, and that you are going to have a wonderful evening."

"You are right, Kitty." Then Ms Reed saw all the Jamies. "What happened to him?"

Kitty shook her head. "He hit the wall 'cause he slipped on some of Bobby's ice."

"I see," remarked Ms Reed, looking at the floor. "Now I understand why Hank called him Multiple."

"Yep. We all have names like that here. I'm Shadowcat," Kitty added.

"And I'm Boom Boom," added Tabitha, entering the room. "Damn, Ms R.! You look hot!"

"Er, thank you, Tabitha."

"Whoa!" cried a voice. "Is that Ms Reed?"

Kitty turned around. "Yes, it is, Bobby. You like?"

Bobby shook his head, as if something in there was blocked up. "If I knew Ms Reed looked like that, I would be taking Chemistry!"

Ms Reed laughed. "I suppose I will have to take that as a complement."

BAMPF! "Hey, Ms Reed. Mr McCoy is just about ready." Kurt cocked his head at the sight of Ms Reed. "Wow! Hey, guys! Come get a look at this!"

The foyer seemed to be suddenly filled with teenagers, all staring at their teacher, who appeared to have undergone some form of Cinderella-type transformation.

"Whoa!"

"Cool!"

"Go, Ms Reed!"

"All right, all right," interrupted a voice. It was Logan. "I'm sure you all have better things to do than to gawk at Hank's date."

"Aw, man!"

Just as suddenly as they had appeared, the students were gone.

Scott poked his head around Hank's door just as Hank was doing up his tie. "Hey, Mr McCoy. She's here." He looked Hank up and down, then whistled. "You look sharp."

Hank looked in the mirror. "You don't think the tuxedo was too much?"

"No, but I think you should not forget the hat," replied Scott, picking up the hat from its place on the bed.

"You're right." Hank turned to Scott. "What do you think?"

Scott smiled. "I think if you worry about how you look, you'll just end up being late for the ballet. Besides, I don't think she's the one to judge by appearance."

Hank stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at the woman who was waiting at the bottom. He could hardly believe that the goddess waiting for him was really Jennifer. Her long brown hair, freed from its usual braid, was done in a sophisticated knot at the nape of her neck, except for a few strands that hung loose around her face. She had replaced her usual white blouse and black trousers for a long dress of a dark forest green and a low neckline. A ruby necklace hung at her throat, sparkling as she turned to look at him.

"Hello, Hank," she said.

"Jennifer," he replied, finally able to move down the stairs. "You look absolutely stunning."

Jennifer laughed. "The students thought so, too. Although they were not quite as eloquent as you were."

"It is the truth," said Hank when he reached her. "You do look stunning." He was acutely aware of the scent of her perfume. It was intoxicating.

Jennifer took his arm. "Shall we be off? I do not want to miss the performance."

Hank had almost forgotten about that. "Yes, I believe so."

"Then to the ballet we go!" announced Jennifer.

It was very late when Jennifer and Hank returned to the Xavier Institute that night after the ballet.

"I'm so sorry about the handkerchief, Hank. It was just such a moving performance."

Hank smiled and closed Jennifer's hand around the tear-soaked handkerchief. "It's quite all right. You were right, it was a excellent performance of Swan Lake, by an excellent company."

"The prima ballerina was beautiful, wasn't she?" asked Jennifer. "She was absolutely perfect for the part of Odette, don't you think?"

"She was, but you are much prettier than she is."

"You are a charmer, Hank McCoy." Jennifer laughed. "Do you know something? I was absolutely shallow during high school. One of those awkward girls who dream of dating a football player. But at that time only one football player ever spoke to me, and that was because I was the tutor assigned to him. All he wanted was for me to do the work for him." Jennifer shook her head. "Now that I think about it, he reminds me a lot of Duncan Matthews. Never mind. I've just had my wish fulfilled. I've seen those photographs of you in the trophy cabinet," she added, smiling. "You were quite the football hero."

"Thank you, Jennifer," replied Hank. "And thank you for inviting me to the ballet."

"I couldn't have asked for better company. Not many people have such an understanding for the arts as you do." She looked about to find that they were at the doorway. "It seems that I must leave you here," she said sadly. "But before I go there is something I must do."

"And that is?"

Jennifer did not answer. Instead she smiled, before kissing Hank on the lips. She pulled away from a stunned Hank, and smiled again. "I really enjoyed myself-" she began, but she was interrupted by a chorus of teenage voices singing a song. It was Tale As Old As Time, from the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. This was accompanied by giggles and laughs.

Hank and Jennifer looked up. "I think they had been planning that since we left," remarked Jennifer.

"No!" called a voice. "Since the date was made!"

"Tabitha!"

"What!"

"All right you lot," interrupted Logan's voice. "I think it's time you lot went to bed. It's past your bedtime."

"But it's past Mr McCoy's, too!"

"No buts, half-pint. Off to bed, all of you!"

There were grumbles from the students, but from the sounds of things they all went to bed, not wanting to anger the mutant known as Wolverine.

Jennifer smiled. "I think we have satisfied the gossip circles of the Institute. It will be all over the school on Monday."

"No, it won't!" called a voice.

"Elf! What did I say to you about going to bed!"

"Sorry, Logan!"

"Oh, well," said Jennifer. "I must be on my way home. I hope to see you again, Hank," she added. She kissed him again, this time on the cheek, before returning to her car and driving away.

Hank sighed, and touched a hand to his cheek, remembering the kiss.


	7. Forget Me Not

Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Seven: Forget-Me-Not  
  
Ms Reed breathed in the scent of the flowers that she had just placed in a vase on her desk.  
  
"Are those from Mr McCoy?"  
  
Ms Reed looked up from the flowers. "Yes, Amara. They are."  
  
"What kind of flowers are they?"  
  
Ms Reed smiled. "Forget-Me-Nots. I don't think you have them where you are from. Am I right, Amara?"  
  
Amara nodded her head. "They're such a pretty shade of blue."  
  
"Do you think Mr McCoy's trying to send you a message there, Ms R.?" asked Tabitha, poking her head around the door. "I mean, they're blue, he's blue. . ."  
  
"Kurt is also blue," Ms Reed reminded the girls. "Now, I think it is nearly time for class, and for you two to be off."  
  
"Oh. . . Ms Reed. . ."  
  
"Off!" said Ms Reed, her voice firm.  
  
The girls went, but they were quickly replaced by Kitty, who, as luck would have it, happened to have Chemistry.  
  
"Hi, Ms Reed!" she chirped. "How was your weekend?"  
  
"You know how it went, Kitty," replied Ms Reed. She looked around the classroom. When she saw that no one was around, she added, her voice quiet, "I know you like the idea of. . . you know what, Kitty, but I would prefer it that it did not become public knowledge just yet, is that all right?"  
  
"Why, Ms Reed? Are you worried about what people might say?"  
  
Ms Reed looked around again. "Yes and no. This has only just begun, and so it, like anything new, is very fragile. Besides, as the playwright and poet Aphra Behn once said, 'Love ceases to be a pleasure when it ceases to be a secret'. Is that a good enough answer for you?"  
  
Kitty was about to answer, but Principal Kelly chose that precise moment to walk into the room. "Hello, Ms Reed," he said. Then he saw Kitty. "Hello, Ms Pryde," he added, his voice less cheerful and polite than it had been for Ms Reed.  
  
"What can I do for you, Principal Kelly?" asked Ms Reed.  
  
"You asked my secretary to pass on a message to me concerning Evan Daniels, the mutant-" Kelly glared at Kitty "- who has not been at school for the past few days, with no explanation."  
  
"Ah, yes," replied Ms Reed. "I went to the Xavier Institute a few days ago to enquire about Mr Daniels' whereabouts, having received no answer from some of the other students at the Institute."  
  
"Mutants," corrected Kelly.  
  
"Yes. Anyway, I was told that Evan is not returning to Bayville High, because of extenuating circumstances."  
  
"You went up to that mutant place alone?" asked Kelly. "That is hard to believe."  
  
Ms Reed ignored Kitty's indignation. "Yes, I did. It was not as terrible as you might have thought, Principal Kelly."  
  
"Well, then, Ms Reed. I suppose I will have to leave such matters up to you, if that proves to be the case," said Kelly. "But I warn you, be careful," he added, with a glance at Kitty. "Mutants are dangerous, no matter how nice they may seem on the surface."  
  
With that, he left, and the vibe in the classroom was noticeably lighter with his absence.  
  
"Sorry about that, Kitty," said Ms Reed sadly.  
  
"No need to worry about it, Ms Reed," replied Kitty. "We're all used to it." Her tone lightened as she asked, "Did you see the look on his face when you told him that you went up to the Institute alone? It was classic!"  
  
"Yes, it was. But that does not change the fact that people will look on my relationship - any relation ship I have - with Hank will be construed as being a -"  
  
"Freak show?" interrupted Kitty.  
  
"I was going to say a little unorthodox," replied Ms Reed. Then she smiled. "But that also works."  
  
"But are you going to let people know about," Kitty looked around, "the you- know-what?"  
  
"All in due time, Kitty. All in due time."  
*  
  
Being the one standing next to the phone, Bobby answered it when it rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Bobby. It's Jennifer Reed here. May I speak to Hank?"  
  
"Sure." With that, Bobby took the cordless phone with him as he wandered around the Institute. Looking into the kitchen, and finding only Jean and Scott there, he asked, "Is Mr McCoy around?"  
  
"No, sorry," said Jean. "Is that Ms Reed?"  
  
Bobby nodded. "Want to say hello?"  
  
"I think we might pass on that, if she wants to speak to Mr McCoy," replied Scott.  
  
The sound of mild laughter crackled through the phone.  
  
"Ms Reed, you there?" asked Bobby.  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
"He's not in the kitchen," he told Ms Reed. "I'm still looking for him."  
  
"Might I suggest the library?"  
  
"Good idea," said Bobby, slapping his forehead. "I'm on my way."  
  
More laughter filtered down through the phone.  
  
*  
  
Hank was indeed in the library, and Bobby handed the phone to him.  
  
"You can go now, Bobby."  
  
Bobby went.  
  
"Hello, Jennifer. What can I do for you?"  
  
"I'm just calling to say thank you for the wonderful flowers. They were beautiful," said Ms Reed. "And you have no cause for concern, Hank. I won't forget that evening."  
  
"Neither will I."  
  
"Nor, will I think, the students," added Jennifer. "It was all the girls wanted to talk to me about, even if I didn't have them for a class. Tabitha in particular seemed to think that there was a hidden message in those flowers. I recall that she said, 'Do you think Mr McCoy's trying to send you a message there? I mean, they're blue, he's blue. . .' I had to stop her there, as class was about to begin."  
  
"Yes, Tabitha can be a bit. . . uncontrollable, at times."  
  
"Yes, but that was not the worst part. Not long after Kitty arrived, Edward Kelly showed up, wanting to know about Evan."  
  
"You did not tell him about us, did you?" asked Hank, concerned. "He would make life very difficult for you if he knew about the ballet."  
  
"No, I did not tell him," replied Jennifer, laughing slightly. "And I did ask my students not to make the fact that we went on a date public."  
  
"A wise move."  
  
"Yes, but I did not call to discuss that with you."  
  
"Then why did you call, Jennifer?" asked Hank, smiling.  
  
"I enjoyed myself so much on Saturday, I wish to repeat the experience. Does that appeal to you?"  
  
"It does," replied Hank, smiling even more. 


	8. Exposure

Queen of Random: Sorry I haven't added more to this story, but, although I have written more to this story, I have also been busy writing a little humour fic 'Role Reversal'. People seem to like it, so I have kind of split my focus a little bit.  
  
Just one more thing, and this is for Deemm_4w, who is a tad upset that I have not mentioned her. THERE IS SUCH A WORD AS TWEENS! IT A CHILD BETWEEN THE AGES OF EIGHT AND TWELVE! JAMIE IS TWELVE, THEREFORE HE IS A TWEEN!  
  
Sorry about that, folks. I just had to let off a little steam. Now, on with the fic!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Eight: Exposure  
  
From that point on it seemed as if Hank McCoy and Jennifer Reed were one person - they were very rarely seen out of each others' company. The only time they were not together was when Jennifer was at school, and that was for obvious reasons.  
  
"Where are you going, Mr McCoy?" asked Jean one evening.  
  
"To Jennifer's," he replied.  
  
"It's starting to get serious, isn't it?"  
  
Hank smiled. "Yes."  
  
Jean laughed. "Don't tell Kitty that. She will get some crazy idea in her head about you two, and will start hearing wedding bells wherever she goes."  
  
"We might just have to keep an eye on her, should that ever happen. We all know how destructive Kitty's love-life is."  
  
"Yes," sighed Jean. "Kurt, Lance. . . who knows where it's going to end?" Jean shrugged her shoulders. "Who needs to watch soap operas when we have Kitty Pryde around?"  
  
"Indeed. Still, it would be best if this did not get out of hand," said Hank. "Besides, you are not one to speak about Kitty's romantic problems. I am sure that you do not forget the tangled web that was woven between you, Scott, Duncan and Taryn."  
  
Jean went a red that would have made her hair jealous. "You're right, sir."  
  
Hank smiled, having dealt with yet another nosy teenager. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a date with a lovely woman, and I do not wish to be late."  
  
Jean smiled. "Have fun."  
  
*  
  
Jennifer opened the door of her modest suburban home to find a figure draped in a long coat and wearing hat. She smiled, knowing who it was. "Hello, Hank."  
  
A pair of eyes peered at her from underneath the hat's brim. "Hello, Jennifer."  
  
"Why don't you come inside?" she asked. "Away from my nosy neighbours."  
  
"Nosy neighbours?"  
  
Jennifer smiled. "Mrs Finklestein from next door. She monitors all the comings and goings of the residents, and, unfortunately, she has become interested in me, and my mysterious visitor." Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. "If only she knew the whole story. She would have a heart attack, and we would all be free of her meddling." Jennifer looked over the fence, where a curtain rustled in a window. A figure could be easily be seen trying to hide, but failing. "Hello, Nora!" called Jennifer.  
  
"Perhaps it would be best if we were to go inside," suggested Hank. "I assume that your neighbour, Nora Finklestein, would be very forthcoming to answering the questions of gossips if she were to find out about the-" here Hank hesitated "- nature of our relationship."  
  
Jennifer frowned. "You're right, Hank. As much as I hate to admit it, you are right. I wish we could just walk along the streets, just like any other couple, but we can't." She sighed, and lowered her head. "We are doomed to secrecy, unless we wish to expose ourselves to ridicule. Come inside, Hank."  
  
*  
  
The secret meeting between Hank and Jennifer had lost its original light and exciting feeling. Instead, any joy that the two adults felt by being in each others' company was overshadowed by the realisation that their relationship was in fact going to be plagued by misfortune, should anyone outside the Xavier Institute find out of it.  
  
As with all secrets, the one these two shared was about to be divulged, long before Jennifer and Hank were ready to let the world know.  
  
"Someone's at the door," remarked Jennifer. "I wonder who it could be?"  
  
Hank shrugged his massive shoulders. "I do not know. But I do think you should answer it, Jennifer."  
  
Jennifer looked at Hank. "Are you sure? You do know you will have to, well, hide."  
  
Hank nodded. "I understand. Go and answer the door."  
  
Jennifer had a hesitant look on her face, but she went to answer the door.  
  
"Edward," said Jennifer, surprised. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Principal Kelly coughed, then said, "I am here on a matter of school business, Jennifer."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
Kelly coughed again. "There have been some complaints made against you."  
  
"By whom?" asked Jennifer, starting to get worried at this point.  
  
"By the parents of the normal students."  
  
"Normal students?" she asked.  
  
"That is the kind of attitude that has me concerned, Jennifer," said Kelly. "You appear to show no distinction between the normal, human children, and those mutant freaks."  
  
"There are no differences between them, Edward," said Jennifer, starting to get mad. "Those with the mutant gene have every right to be treated the same as everyone else."  
  
"But they are different!" answered Kelly. "They are mutants! They are not the same! They have no rights, as they are monsters."  
  
"How dare you come into my home and say such things!" said Jennifer. "I tolerate your comments at school, but I cannot have you come to my home, my home, and make such racist comments." Seeing Kelly's shocked look she added, "Yes, Edward, I think you are a racist. No, you are a racist. People should be making complaints against you, Edward, not me."  
  
"You should learn to control yourself, Jennifer," said Kelly, his voice not quite as calm as he would have liked to have portrayed himself as being. "People will think that you side with mutants. Or even worse, that you are one of those freaks."  
  
"I am human, Edward, you know that. But I sometimes wish I were a mutant, so that I would have nothing to hide," she hissed.  
  
"What do you mean, nothing to hide?" demanded Kelly. "Tell me, now, Jennifer!" With that, he grabbed her arm.  
  
"Let go of me!" shouted Jennifer. "Not until you tell me what you meant!" came the angry reply.  
  
"Get your hands off of her right now!"  
  
Kelly whirled around to face the speaker. It was Hank, but Kelly did not know that at the time. "You're with one of them?!" he demanded of Jennifer.  
  
"Hank, stop him!" pleaded Jennifer.  
  
"Hank?" asked Kelly. "Hank McCoy?"  
  
"Yes, it is me," replied Hank. "And I suggest that you let go of her, right now, or you will find out why I am called Beast." To prove his point, Hank bared his teeth.  
  
Kelly swallowed, and let go of Jennifer's arm. "You will be hearing from me about this, Jennifer," he said. "The board will not be too pleased to discover the reason for your blatant favouritism for the mutant students."  
  
"My private life is just that, Edward," said Jennifer. "Private. What I do, and whom I date, is entirely up to me. No one, especially not you, can make me think, or do, otherwise."  
  
Kelly said nothing. He just left.  
  
But the look he gave the couple promised trouble. 


	9. An Offer of Support

Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Nine: An Offer of Support  
  
Jennifer almost collapsed into Hank's arms when Kelly left. "Are you all right?" asked Hank, worried.  
  
Jennifer buried her face in Hank's massive chest and did not answer.  
  
"Jennifer?"  
  
"I'm so sorry," came the muffled reply. "I did not mean to let him know about us." She looked up at Hank, tears in her eyes. "I just got so mad at him for saying all those horrible things about mutants. He is a racist, you know that."  
  
"I know. How could I not," asked Hank, "when I look like this?"  
  
"Don't say such things, Hank! There is nothing wrong with you!"  
  
Hank bowed his head. "Not everybody is as understanding as you, Jennifer, you must understand that."  
  
"I know."  
  
"You're an idealist, Jennifer," said Hank. "You think that we can all live in harmony, but that will not come without sacrifice. I'm afraid that you have just made one."  
  
"What?" she asked, startled.  
  
Hank sighed. "The moment you step through the school gates, you will be different from everyone else. You will no longer be just Jennifer Reed, a teacher who shows no dislike for the mutant students, but you will instead be someone who is different from everyone else - neither human or mutant, but caught in between."  
  
"Like Amanda Sefton."  
  
"Yes," said Hank sadly. "Just like Amanda, except her feelings for Kurt can be waved away as a mistake of youth, unlike yours for me."  
  
"What are you saying, Hank?" asked Jennifer.  
  
"You are an adult woman of high intelligence. You knew the stigma attached to associating with mutants, and you chose to ignore it. You do not have parents who can attempt to punish you as Amanda's have, and forbid you from seeing me. You made this choice, knowing full well the effects it could have on you and your life.  
  
Jennifer did not say anything, as she was still trying to come to terms with what Hank was trying to tell her.  
  
"Wait until you go to school tomorrow, and see what happens there," suggested Hank. "You will then learn the costs of being with one of us."  
  
"Hank -" began Jennifer, but she did not say anything else.  
  
"I will be returning to the Xavier Institute now," added Hank. He made his way to the door, and took his coat and hat from the rack at the entrance. "And, Jennifer?" he asked, just as he was about to leave. "Be careful. The students at the Institute will be watching out, but they won't be there to stop every attack launched at you."  
  
Jennifer did not say anything - she was like a statue, neither living nor dead.  
  
"Goodbye, Jennifer."  
  
*  
  
"Mr McCoy?" asked Kitty, when Hank came home that evening earlier than expected. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"No, Kitty, everything is not all right," replied Hank.  
  
"Like, what happened? Did you guys have a fight?"  
  
"No, Kitty. But we think our secret is out."  
  
"What happened?" asked Tabitha, who was sitting next to Kitty. "Did you go crazy and climb a tall building with her in your King Kong sized hand?"  
  
"Tabitha!"  
  
"What? I was just joking!"  
  
"I don't think that Mr McCoy needs that right now," interrupted Jean, who had been listening to the conversation.  
  
"Jean's right."  
  
"Oh, shut up shades. Why are you even listening to this conversation?"  
  
Scott ignored Tabitha, and asked Hank, "What happened?"  
  
Hank looked as if he was not going to answer, but it seemed that he changed his mind. "When I was at Jennifer's, Principal Kelly showed up at her house."  
  
"Uh oh," said Jean. "I think we can all guess where this is going."  
  
Hank nodded. "He came to tell her about some complaints that had been laid against her by some parents."  
  
"About her treatment of us?" asked Kitty. When Hank nodded again, Kitty added, "That's not fair! How can they do that?"  
  
"Quite easily, I'm afraid," replied Hank. "But when they were talking, tempers flared, and words were exchanged."  
  
"What did she say to him?" asked Tabitha. "I hope it was something good."  
  
"Jennifer called him a racist."  
  
"That's all?" Tabitha looked kind of deflated.  
  
"Principal Kelly then said that she should be careful about what she says and does when at school, or else people will think that she is a mutant herself."  
  
"But she's human, right?" asked Kitty.  
  
"Yes, she is," replied Hank. "That would have made no difference to some people, she would be considered a mutant-lover."  
  
Normally, Tabitha would have made a joke about the fact that the teacher was a mutant-lover, but - wisely - decided to remain quiet.  
  
"And then what happened?" asked Jean.  
  
"She made her biggest mistake," answered Hank. "She said she sometimes wished she was a mutant, so that she would have nothing to hide."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Principal Kelly obviously wanted to know what she had meant by that, and in the argument that ensued, he took hold of her arm."  
  
"And that was when you became involved," finished Scott.  
  
"Yes. He did not recognise me at first, but then when Jennifer called me by name. . . well, he understood what was going on. Kelly mentioned that the board would be hearing about the reason for her 'blatant favouritism' for you."  
  
"Oh, no," said Kitty.  
  
"Ms Reed is not going to be welcomed tomorrow morning when she goes to school," said Scott. "And, unlike us, she cannot defend herself."  
  
"And she doesn't have the element of fear on her side, either," added Tabitha.  
  
"I think we should all keep an eye out for Ms Reed," said Kitty. "She deserves it."  
  
"I agree."  
  
"Then it's decided," announced Scott, standing up. "We will all be there tomorrow to support Ms Reed." 


	10. Nerve and Consequences

Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Ten: Nerve and Consequences  
  
Ms Reed bit her lip as she paced across the width of her classroom. It was Monday morning, and she had not heard anything from Principal Kelly about what had happened on Saturday evening. Nor had Hank, for that matter. Ms Reed felt completely alone.  
  
"Ms Reed?"  
  
Ms Reed whirled around, tense, although she knew the voice was that of a friend. "Oh, Kitty. It's just you. I thought it might have been Principal Kelly." She sank into her chair. Kitty placed a hand on her teacher's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ms Reed. You've got all our support. All of us."  
  
"Somehow that doesn't reassure me."  
  
Kitty looked up as the door swung open. "Good luck, Ms Reed."  
  
"Thank you, Kitty," she whispered.  
  
As she stood up, a steely resolve clutched Ms Reed. Her back straightened, and she showed no sign of panic or worry as students filed into her classroom. Once they were all seated an settled, she cleared her throat, and began to speak.  
  
"Now, class, I know some of you -" began Ms Reed, but she was interrupted by a knock at the door. It opened, and revealed Principal Kelly.  
  
"Ms Reed," he said, his voice cold. "I wish to speak to you. Alone."  
  
Kitty's eyes showed a flicker of panic, but Ms Reed's, however, did not. "Principal Kelly," she said, smiling. "How can I help you?"  
  
"Speak with me, out in the hallway."  
  
"Of course, Principal Kelly."  
  
As the door closed behind Ms Reed, the entire class ran over to the door. Kitty got there first, and pressed an ear to the door. She could hear every word.  
  
"I have spoken to the board about your behaviour."  
  
"And?" came Ms Reed's voice.  
  
"Your behaviour regarding the mutants at this school is unacceptable," said Kelly.  
  
"You mean my private life, and my relationship with Hank McCoy."  
  
"Yes," said Kelly angrily. "Your relationship with that monster."  
  
"How dare you!" came Ms Reed's angry voice. Then came a slapping sound, and a shout of pain from Kelly. "Don't you dare speak of Hank that way! Or any other mutant for that matter!"  
  
"I will report that assault you just made on me to the board, and maybe even the police, Ms Reed."  
  
"I am not afraid of your threats, nor anything else you throw at me."  
  
"Are you quite confident about that? Then I have something to tell you."  
  
A hand grabbed Kitty's shoulder, pulling her away from the door. "Susan! Why did you have to go and do that?"  
  
Susan shrugged. "Sorry," she said, obviously not meaning it.  
  
"Oh, man!" said a guy. "I wanted to hear what was going on."  
  
"Shh! She's coming back!"  
  
The door swung open, and Ms Reed walked in. Anger seemed to be emanating from her, and everyone except for Kitty leapt out of her way.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Nothing much, Kitty. That pompous, self-assured, mutant-hating, pratty, up- himself prick called the man I was dating a monster."  
  
"And?"  
  
"So I slapped him. He was not too happy about it."  
  
"I'll bet," said Kitty.  
  
"What is going on?" asked another student. "Why did he call the man you were dating a monster?"  
  
"Bit slow on the uptake, it seems," replied Ms Reed. "I guess it would be better if I told you now, rather than you hear it, blown out of proportion, later on." Ms Reed cleared her throat. "Recently, I have started dating a very nice man, understanding, handsome, intelligent - everything I could ask for, really."  
  
"So? Why should we care?"  
  
"The man's name is Hank McCoy."  
  
"Hank McCoy? Our old Chemistry teacher?"  
  
"The very same," said Ms Reed.  
  
"But he disappeared, didn't he?"  
  
"You need to keep up with the times," said Kitty. "He now works at the Xavier Institute."  
  
"The mutant school?! But that would make him a -"  
  
"Mutant," finished Ms Reed.  
  
"You're dating a mutant?" asked Susan. "A freak?"  
  
"I will tell you what I have told Principal Kelly several times. Mutants are not monsters. Before you found out Kitty was one, or Jean, or Scott, or anyone else at the Institute was a mutant, did you think them to be freaks? No. Did you treat them any differently? No."  
  
"But how can you date a mutant?"  
  
"I am a scientist. I studied the process of human evolution at University. I know how we have come to be what we are today. I have always suspected that our next evolution was just around the corner. Ofd course, I did not expect it to be the way it has occurred."  
  
"But, are you a mutant?" asked another student.  
  
Ms Reed shook her head. "No. I am human. But I have accepted the fact that my offspring may possess the X-Gene." She narrowed her eyes. "Even if the father was human. The very first mutants were sired by humans. I'm sure Kitty can testify to that."  
  
Kitty nodded. 'My parents are human. I'm not. Simple as that."  
  
"But you did not answer my question: How can you date a mutant?"  
  
"How can you date a human? You are making it sound as if we are living in South Africa in the time of Apartheid, and I have violated laws that prohibit relationships between the races. You are making it sound as though I am an Afrikaner, and Hank is an African, confined to his small section of land under the Group Areas Act, also known to him as the Xavier Institute. Think about that, about how Apartheid hurt so many people, but was abolished."  
  
The class was silent for the moment, as they took that information in.  
  
Finally, Kitty spoke. "Is that all that happened, Ms Reed? I don't think Principal Kelly would let you off that easily."  
  
Ms Reed smiled sadly. "You are right. My contract with this school has been terminated."  
  
"What?" asked Susan.  
  
"I have been fired. I must leave this school, take all my things, and never come back." 


	11. Tears of a Mermaid

Queen of Random: This story, along with 'Role Reversal', is making all my friends jealous! They, too, write for Fanfiction.net, but they don't seem to get as many reviews as I have with this one story. In fact, one of my friend is really taking it hard, because she has about ten stories up, and only slightly more reviews than that! Poor, Opaleye. Better luck next time! He he he.  
  
As per usual, here is the disclaimer. I own nothing. I don't own any Disney films in any way, shape or form, whether it be 'The Little Mermaid', or 'Aladdin', or even 'Beauty and the Beast'. Again, he he he.  
  
Anyway, this story is a lot longer than I expected. It was just a little thing I started just to keep me occupied during History (now you know why Jennifer did that rant about Apartheid!), and then during Chemistry. It seems that I have started something very good, here. One comment I have noticed by reading your reviews is that there are very few stories out there which have Hank McCoy as a central figure. And for him to have a love- interest. . . shock, horror! One person was very surprised to notice that Jennifer Reed did not even look at Logan! Now that caused me to fall off my seat with laughter! I had not even considered that idea!  
  
A friend thinks this story is hilarious though, because I will not tell her how it ends. When I refused the first time she said, "Jennifer should either dump Hank and hook up with Logan, or spend the rest of her days chasing after Hank Jr, and telling him to get down from the Empire State Building'. What do you think should happen? I'm not inclined to trust my friend, as she also said that Jennifer should move to Antarctica. Yeah, right, Deemma_4w. I would like to know your thoughts on this subject.  
  
Just don't send me a review saying that Jennifer should be offered Kelly's job, and make Bayville High the most mutant-friendly school in the world!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Eleven: Tears of a Mermaid  
  
Kitty found Scott, Jean and Kurt by a group of lockers after first period had finished.  
  
"Kitty. What's wrong?" asked Jean, noticing that Kitty's eyes were bright and her face flushed.  
  
"It's Ms Reed," she managed to get out.  
  
"What about her?" asked Scott. "Has anyone tried to hurt her?"  
  
Kitty shook her head violently. "No! Principal Kelly just told her that she has been fired!"  
  
"What?" asked Kurt. "Why?"  
  
"I think we al know why," said Scott grimly. "Mr McCoy."  
  
Kitty nodded. "Kelly asked to speak to her outside in the hallway. We all heard what he said about her and Mr McCoy."  
  
"And?" prodded Jean.  
  
"She slapped him," Kitty said simply.  
  
"She what?"  
  
"She slapped him," repeated Kitty. "We all heard it. It sounded painful."  
  
"I wondered why Kelly's face was looking redder than usual," interrupted a voice. Everyone turned around to face Tabitha and Amara. Tabitha continued speaking. "If you ask me, I think it's about time that Kelly got his just desserts."  
  
"How much of this conversation did you hear?" asked Jean.  
  
Amara spoke this time. "Just the bit about Ms Reed slapping Kelly. Why?"  
  
No one met Amara's eyes. "What is it?" asked Tabitha. "What happened?" she demanded.  
  
Kitty finally looked up to face Amara and Tabitha. "Ms Reed has been fired. Today is her last day of teaching at Bayville High."  
  
"No way!" cried Tabitha.  
  
"Why?" asked Amara. "What did she ever to Kelly? Apart from hitting him, I mean."  
  
"You know why," said Jean quietly.  
  
"Mr McCoy." Jean nodded. "That's so wrong!"  
  
"But there is nothing we can do about it," reminded Scott. "We are not to do anything, understand that, Tabitha?"  
  
"Sure I do. But I do think that Kelly needs a fire lit under him."  
  
"The same goes for you, too, Amara. Can you tell the others?" asked Jean. "We do not want this to get worse, okay?"  
  
"Okay," said Amara glumly. "This still doesn't make it right."  
  
"I know," said Jean, placing a comforting hand on Amara's shoulder. "But this is why we need to be there for Ms Reed. Like it or not, she has become involved in this war."  
  
*  
  
Ms Reed wiped a tear from her eye as she packed the last of her things into a cardboard box that Principal Kelly had so helpfully provided. It was only 3:30, and she had had only a little to pack from her desk, as she had already transferred the rest to her car at lunch. She had not gone to the staff room for lunch, as she felt that she could not look her fellow educators in the eyes.  
  
"Not fellow educators anymore," she whispered. "What am I going to do?"  
  
There was no answer from the school that had abandoned her.  
  
Sighing, she picked up her box, containing only a few books, a periodic table, a few writing utensils, and her lab coat. That was all that remained of her teaching career. Her reputation as an excellent teacher was now turned to ashes, just like the ones her class had used earlier that day to make soap. But that soap could not clean the stain that would always be on her reputation. But if it could, she would not use it.  
  
She would stand by her decision to stay with Hank. She was not someone to change sides on a whim. She was firm in her resolution to support the fight for mutant rights.  
  
But would the mutants support her?  
  
*  
  
Ms Reed's head was bowed down as she walked by the trophy cabinet. But the glitter of something caught her eye. A photo frame glinted in the light, and Ms Reed just stared at it. The frame contained a photo of Hank McCoy, as he had been in his youth. Before he had become the Beast.  
  
Ms Reed reached out and touched the glass that separated her from the image of Hank. "You were so different then," she whispered. "No one would have hated you then."  
  
"Ms Reed?" interrupted a voice.  
  
Ms Reed turned around slowly, to find that it was Bill, the janitor, standing there. "I'm sorry. I'm leaving now. You don't have to call security."  
  
Bill shook his head. "That's not what I wanted to speak to you about. I just want you to know that I think that you are doing the right thing, sticking with your beliefs."  
  
Ms Reed frowned. "I don't understand."  
  
"You and your mutant friends," replied Bill. "I've been watching you ever since mutants were exposed. I saw that you were the only one that did not treat the mutants any differently. You cared for them the way a teacher should care for all her students."  
  
"Why does this matter to you, Bill?" asked Ms Reed, even more confused than before.  
  
Bill reached into his pocket, and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a Polaroid photo of a girl, about thirteen. "This is my daughter, Becky."  
  
Ms Reed looked at the photo of Becky. She was a pretty girl, dressed in a swimsuit for a day at the beach. Her blonde hair hung loose on her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "I did not know you had a daughter."  
  
"My wife and I divorced when Becky was eight. I only see her in the holidays. This was taken in the last summer holidays, when we went to the beach. She was the one who found this private cove. She loves to swim."  
  
"Why are you showing me this, Bill?"  
  
Bill shook his head, and reached behind the photo. There was another Polaroid of Becky behind it. This time she was sitting on a rock, still at the cove. Her body was partly submerged beneath the water. But that was not what caused Ms Reed's breath to catch in her throat. "Is that a tail?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.  
  
Bill nodded. "My little girl is a mermaid. A mutant who can become a mermaid when she is in the water."  
  
"She can control it?"  
  
"Yes," replied Bill. "No one knows what she is. Only her mother and I know the truth. And now you."  
  
Ms Reed smiled grimly. "And probably Professor Xavier," she added. "He can find mutants using his power."  
  
"He can?"  
  
"That's how he found Kitty, and Kurt, and all the others," explained Ms Reed. "Kitty told me about how she was found."  
  
"Well, no matter what, Ms Reed, stand by what you believe in. It is because of people like you that I have hope for my daughter's future."  
  
Ms Reed had to smile at that. "Thank you."  
  
Bill picked up his broom. "Don't let Kelly get to you. He's not worth it. He will get his just desserts soon. He's made too many enemies not to." Bill smiled, and walked off down the hall, whistling a tune that Ms Reed recognised as being from the Disney movie 'The Little Mermaid'.  
  
Ms Reed left the building, too, her heart considerably lighter than what it had been. 


	12. A Declaration

Queen of Random: I don't really have much to say about this chapter, except to apoligise for not getting out sooner. It has been hard trying to write new bits for three different stories, watch a Stargate marathon on tv, recover from the fact that X-Men: Evolution is not on Cartoon Network anymore, and begin to study for exams.  
  
Anyway, I will do my best over the next week to get as much of 'Role Reversal', 'Trial by Fire' and, of course, 'Beauty and the Beast' done as I can. Like the rest of you, I hope, I want to see this story finished before it gets to long. I have the basic storyline planned out - unlike 'Role Reversal' and 'Trial by Fire' - and so I know what I need to do, and how it will go  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Twelve: A Declaration  
  
Ms Reed stood in the parking zone in front of the school, staring at the place she had worked for a while now, and had given up for what she believed in. She had loved teaching there, at least, she had until she had been witness to the cruelty the students were capable of.  
  
But now, she did not have to return. And to be honest, she was frightened of what could happen if she was not there. What would happen to the students at the school if someone like her, with sympathies to the mutants of the world, was not there, and if the students were continued to be exposed to Principal Kelly's blatant and untempered hatred of mutants? If he had felt nothing, and had not hesitated in firing Ms Reed just because she was in a relationship with a mutant, what would he do to the mutants, such as Kitty, Rogue, Amara, Bobby, Scott and Jean? Without a sympathetic spirit at the school, they would be completely alone. Even Kurt would have problems, even with Amanda standing firm at his side.  
  
"Goodbye, Bayville High," whispered Ms Reed. "And goodbye to who I was."  
  
"And hello to who you will become," added a voice behind Ms Reed.  
  
She turned, and a smiled broke the sadness that haunted Ms Reed's face. "Perhaps you are right." She looked at the mutant students. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"To help you," said Rogue simply.  
  
"Yeah," added Kitty.  
  
"I mean, you've always been so nice to us," said Kurt. "We could not just let him do that to you. It's not right."  
  
"Then what do you suggest I do?" asked Ms Reed, smiling slightly. She wanted to see how outrageous the schemes would be.  
  
"Take Kelly out!"  
  
"I don't think that would be absolutely necessary," laughed Ms Reed.  
  
"You could appeal the decision," suggested Rogue.  
  
"Now that is a sensible suggestion, unlike yours, Tabitha."  
  
"What? I still say we give Kelly a piece of our mutant minds!"  
  
"No, Tabitha," said Ms Reed firmly. "I will appeal the decision, and I will do it through the correct channels. No blowing up Principal Kelly's car."  
  
"Oh, man!"  
  
Ms Reed noticed that Kitty was being unusually quiet. "Kitty? What's wrong?"  
  
"You should talk to Mr McCoy, Ms Reed. I think he should hear about this from you. Not from us."  
  
"You're right, Kitty. I will see him tonight, I think. Just tell him -" here Ms Reed's voice faltered, a thing which surprised some of the students, as she had always been so composed, and always know what to say "- just tell him, that I don't regret anything."  
  
"Nothing?" asked Rogue.  
  
Ms Reed tried to smile, but failed. "I don't regret anything. This day was coming, I just tried to ignore it. Principal Kelly hates me almost as much as he does you. If I had not been with Hank, he would have found some other excuse to get rid of me. I'm kind of glad that I gave up my career for a worthy cause."  
  
"It was worth it?" asked Jean.  
  
"For you?" asked Ms Reed. "It would be worth it every time. You are the future, I am the past. Principal Kelly just cannot see that." Ms Reed seemed to stare off into space as she said one final thing. "This will be my contribution to the future, as a member of a dying race, helping the new dominant species to emerge. I do not regret it. At all."  
  
*  
  
Upon their return to the Institute, Kitty asked Rogue, "What did Ms Reed mean by that?"  
  
Rogue looked up. "What did Ms Reed mean by what?"  
  
"What she said earlier. About how she is part of a dying race. What do you think she meant by that?"  
  
"Just what she said," replied Rogue. "She is part of a dying race. Humans will be replaced by mutants. We will be the dominant species, just as she said."  
  
Kitty was silent for a moment as she took this in. Then she spoke. "How can she be so. . . negative? I mean, we don't hate her because she's human."  
  
"That's not the point," said Jean, who had been listening. "She knows that it is the end of the human race. And we will be in control soon, whether it will be the way Professor Xavier hopes the future to be, or Magneto's way."  
  
Kitty tried to change the subject. "Is Ms Reed here? I thought I heard someone at the door before. Was it her?"  
  
Jean nodded. "Yes. Roberto is taking her to Mr McCoy right now."  
  
"I wouldn't like to be in his shoes," said Rogue.  
  
"He'll be feeling so guilty about this. He'll think it is his fault."  
  
"This is only one person's fault," reminded Jean. "Principal Kelly's."  
  
*  
  
"Thank you, Roberto," she said, after the boy had led her to the library - although, by this time, she knew her way around the mansion, after all of her frequent visits.  
  
"Sure, Ms Reed," replied Roberto, before leaving her alone.  
  
Jennifer just stared at the closed door in front of her. She had no idea what to say, and even if she did, she did not know whether or not she could actually bring herself to say it. After all, she had just lost her job for Hank, and she did not even know how he would react.  
  
She was hoping that it would not be so bad.  
  
But to put it bluntly, she was kind of afraid to have to tell him the bad news, as she had asked the students to let her tell him herself.  
  
Jennifer took off her glasses, and put them in her pocket. They had been misting up all day, and she did not want them to be in the way when she broke the news to Hank.  
  
Jennifer's hand was shaking as she reached for the door handle. She was not afraid of Hank - she could never be afraid of Hank - rather, she was afraid of herself. She was afraid that she could not go through with it. Like Hank, the most important thing in her life was teaching. No, that was not quite correct. The most important thing in hr life was her students, and she had proven it by treating them all equally. Of course, Kelly might have been right by saying she did show favouritism for the mutant students - she was, after all, dating one of their guardians.  
  
"Bobby?" came Hank's voice from inside the library. "If you want to speak with me, come inside and do it. I'm not a telepath, you know."  
  
Jennifer finally found the courage to open the door. "Hank? It's me."  
  
Hank looked up from his book. "Jennifer. I didn't expect you. I thought it was Bobby coming to tell me he had failed another assignment."  
  
Jennifer shook her head. "No, he hasn't." She tried to smile. "At least, I think he hasn't. I came to tell you something. My contract with Bayville High was terminated this morning."  
  
Hank looked at Jennifer sharply. "What?"  
  
Principal Kelly came to me during my first class, and told me that I was fired. After telling me that I was in a relationship with a monster, of course."  
  
Hank rose from his chair. "He can't do that."  
  
"Well, he did."  
  
Hank put his book down and crossed the room to where Jennifer was standing. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking straight into her hazel eyes.  
  
Those hazel eyes started to tear up. "No."  
  
Hank did not say anything. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Jennifer, and pulled her close.  
  
"Now I know what you were talking about when you told me about when you had to give up teaching at Bayville High. I feel - I feel as if a part of my heart has been ripped out."  
  
"Teaching was your life," said Hank gently. "It's hard not to feel that way, Jennifer. If you didn't you would be just like Principal Kelly."  
  
"I guess it is not so bad," said Jennifer. "I mean, it was just a job. I guess I can get another one. I don't have to be teaching to be happy."  
  
Hank almost pushed Jennifer away. "I know you. Teaching made you happier than almost anything else."  
  
Jennifer looked up at Hank. "Not as happy as you have made me, Hank."  
  
"Jennifer, I think that you should stop deluding yourself."  
  
"What?"  
  
"This is a mistake."  
  
"Us?" asked Jennifer. "You think this is a mistake?"  
  
"You have given up too much. I cannot ask you to give up anything else. I'm sorry, Jennifer."  
  
Jennifer shook her head, her eyes still teary. ""What are you saying, Hank?"  
  
"I don't deserve to be with someone like you, Jennifer. I think you should move on."  
  
"Move on?"  
  
"Move on, and forget about me," said Hank.  
  
"Are you saying it's over? Us?" asked Jennifer. "How can you say that, after all that we've been through? All that has happened?"  
  
"I am a beast, Jennifer. A monster." Hank raised a hand and brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face. "You are human." The hand trailed down her cheek. "Perfect. Unflawed." The hand stopped at Jennifer's jaw- line, and reached for her hand. Hank led her to the window, and to the view of the town. "That is your world out there. Not mine," finished Hank.  
  
"No!" answered Jennifer. "That is our world out there! You belong in it, too! With me!"  
  
"People out there hate me for what I am. I accept that. But I could not bear it if the same thing happened to you."  
  
"That is my choice!" replied Jennifer. "And I choose to stay with you!" Jennifer reached out and took his hand in both of hers, pulling it to her chest. "I choose to stay with you," she repeated, looking deep into his eyes, "the one I love." 


	13. The Fight Begins

Queen of Random: I know I said that I could not do any more of these stories for a while, but I managed to find time during a study break to write the next chapters of a few stories. I can't promise that I will be able to do it again, as my exams are quite important, as they will be looked at when I apply next year to go to university, but I will try again if I have the time, which is quite unlikely. Sorry if the next chapter is a bit short, but, again, I am blaming it on exams. I hate them, but hey, they are a fact of life. Sometimes I think I would rather go through having to deal with a mutation than do any more exams!  
  
Anyway, I have to go and study, but as I love getting your reviews and knowing how much you guys like my stories, I just had to write another bit of this story for you!  
  
And here it is!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Thirteen: The Fight Begins  
  
Hank stared at Jennifer in what appeared to be a state of shock. Finally he was able to speak. "You love me?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse with surprise.  
  
Jennifer smiled, and nodded. "I do, Hank. I love you."  
  
"You love me?" he repeated, not quite believing her.  
  
Jennifer laughed quietly. "I. Love. You," she said, slowly, and carefully, drawing out each word, and making sure that he understood what she was saying.  
  
Finally, Hank got it. And he laughed. "I love you, too."  
  
Jennifer laughed, and kissed Hank. Then she laughed again, and he laughed, too.  
  
Suddenly, Jennifer stopped laughing. "What is it?" asked Hank.  
  
Jennifer let go of Hank's hand, and turned to face the door. "All right, you lot. I know you're out there."  
  
Kitty's head appeared through the closed door. "Busted, huh?"  
  
Both adults nodded, but they were smiling. "Yes," said Jennifer. Then she shook her head. "You have all got to get out of this bad habit. It will get you into trouble one of these days."  
  
Kitty's head bounced up and down. "Okay, Ms Reed, Mr McCoy." Kitty's head retreated back through the door.  
  
"We knew that we were never going to be able to keep this quiet," said Hank, laughing quietly.  
  
Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. "At least it keeps things interesting. And at least it's not Principal Kelly who has been eavesdropping, that would not be a good thing."  
  
"It would be interesting, though," laughed Hank, before kissing the woman he loved, and who loved him.  
  
*  
  
Jennifer hung the phone up with a click, sighing. "No luck?" asked Hank, who had been listening in to the conversation.  
  
She shook her head. "Apparently, the board will not be able to see me until the end of the month."  
  
"What about taking it to someone of higher authority?"  
  
Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. "It might work, but I think I will wait and see what happens until then." She forced a smile. "I'll just consider this a holiday. It's not so bad."  
  
"But-"  
  
Jennifer saw Hank's frown and interrupted. "But nothing," she said firmly. "And don't worry, Hank. This is not your fault. For all we know, I could have lost my job later on down the track, because of the way I treat the students here. It was just a matter of time, so stop blaming yourself, Hank."  
  
"I'm not blaming myself. I'm blaming Kelly."  
  
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, remember that I slapped him. It certainly is making me feel better thinking about it."  
  
"I know that's a good thing," said Kurt coming into the room with Scott, "but we think that you should see this." He picked up the remote that was sitting on the table next to Hank, and switched on the television.  
  
"Take a look," said Scott.  
  
On the television that moment was a live press conference being held at the school. Principal Kelly was being interviewed by reporters from a number of different news crews.  
  
"If you felt that Ms Reed was unsuitable as a teacher here at Bayville High," asked a reporter, "why did you wait so long to fire her?"  
  
Kelly drew himself up to full height, and said, "Jennifer Reed was an excellent teacher but for one thing. She did not understand that mutants are dangerous! In fact, she was biased towards them!"  
  
"But one could turn around and say that you are biased against mutants," said another reporter. "How can you fire her for just that?"  
  
Kelly coughed. "Well, Ms Reed also became emotionally involved with a mutant I believe - no, I know - is capable of violence. In fact, he attacked me when I confronted Ms Reed about it."  
  
"Liar!" said Jennifer. "He attacked me!"  
  
"Really?" asked another reporter. "Which mutant is that?"  
  
"Hank McCoy, another former teacher at this school. He is prone to violence, and I am afraid that Ms Reed is also capable of it as well. Before I had her fired, she attacked me for telling her the truth about McCoy. It sorrows me that such a good teacher like Ms Reed has such a poor sense of judgment."  
  
A low growl escaped Hank's throat. "Calm down," said Jennifer. "Kurt?" she asked, turning to the boy. "Could you do me a favour?"  
  
"Sure, Ms Reed. What is it?"  
  
"Could you teleport me down to the school?"  
  
Kurt did not answer. Instead, he took hold of his former teacher's arm, and they disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
*  
  
The woman coughed as she and her former student arrived after a few bursts of teleportation to get to the school. "I think I'll catch a bus on the way back, Kurt. I'm far too old for that sort of thing."  
  
"But, you're not that old!" said Kurt. "Wait, how old are you?"  
  
Jennifer coughed again. "Piece of advice, Kurt. Never ask a woman two things. One, how old she is, and two, how much she weighs. If you remember that, you will probably live to be a ripe old age."  
  
Kurt nodded. "Okay." He looked around. They were not far from the front of the school, where the conference was being held. "Come on, let's go!" he said, taking off at a run.  
  
Jennifer, still not recovered completely from her first experiences of teleporting, took off after him.  
  
"So, was it at your suggestion that the board decided to terminate Ms Reed's contract?" asked yet another reporter. There seemed to be no end to the questions that were coming thick and fast from the crowd of reporters.  
  
"I suppose so," said Jennifer, from a spot in the back of the crowd. No one had noticed her arrive, as they had all be focused on the lies of Principal Kelly.  
  
The whole crowd turned around to face the speaker. "And who are you?" asked a reporter.  
  
"A good teacher with a poor sense of judgment and a bias towards mutants, apparently."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"My name is Jennifer Reed. I am the teacher Principal Kelly here has been kind enough to slander." She looked at Kelly. "At least you haven't resorted to libel, Edward. It would give me even more evidence that I am in the right when I take this to the highest level."  
  
"Ms Reed! Ms Reed!" cried the reporters as they clambered to be the one to ask the questions. "What will you do now? Is it true that you are dating a mutant? Are you a mutant yourself?"  
  
"I only have this to say: I will be fighting this unfair dismissal, and I will have Hank's support and love behind me, as well as the support of those at the Xavier Institute, even though I am human. Thank you." With that, she turned at walked away, a small smile on her face, ignoring the continuing barrage of questions that the reporters were hurling at her. 


	14. Reporters and Vandals

Queen of Random: Okay, forget what I said about me not being able to write any more chapters because I am studying for exams. I have been writing these chapters during study breaks. It's amazing what you can write in about 30 minutes! Not just stories, mind you. I was supposed to write a 300 - 400 word response to text on a play in 40 minutes. . . but it ended up being an 800 word essay instead. Yay for me.  
  
Anyway, now that Hank and Jennifer have said those three important little words to each other, I can now let the story move forward. Not in the disgusting way I think some of you are thinking, but on a more time- orientated motion. In other words, I can make time go by in the blink of an eye if I want to - I am the author after all!  
  
Speaking of that, I would just like to say that from now on, this story, 'Beauty and the Beast', will now be diverging from the whole X-Men: Evolution timeline. As time in this story will pass (especially later on, if my plans for this story go ahead), things will be different to what has happened in the series. Evan's leaving the X-Men gave me a starting point from which I could begin the story, but as it has been progressing, it will be different. This is also due to the fact that I have not seen season four of Evo - and there is only so much the episode guides on Beyond Evolution can do (not that I don't like the site, anyways! It is the greatest Evo site out there - and I've seen a few!). So, here's hoping that I will get to see season four, and that I will pass my exams.  
  
Oh, and for all of you Brotherhood fans, don't worry. They'll enter this story soon enough! Until then, you can see what kind of chaos they create in my humour fic 'Role Reversal'. Or, if you are an Acolyte fan, check out 'Trial by Fire'. One thing though, about that story. Do you know how hard it is to think of a fitting title to that chapter with a reference to fire in it?!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Reporters and Vandals  
  
Jennifer had indeed taken the bus to get back to the Institute, after a conversation with Kurt that involved a few odd remarks in German as Kurt teleported away.  
  
But she did make it back to the Institute, only to announce that she was going home.  
  
"Home? But why?"  
  
"I have a lot to do Hank," she replied simply. "I have to get on with my plan to challenge my dismissal, don't I?"  
  
Hank nodded. "Yes, but-"  
  
Jennifer silenced him by placing a hand over his mouth. "No buts. Understand?"  
  
Hank nodded, and Jennifer removed her hand from the mutant's mouth. "I understand, but-" Hank saw the look in Jennifer's eyes, and changed his mind. "If you need any help, remember that we are always here. Especially me."  
  
"I know. And for that, I am grateful." Jennifer leaned up and kissed Hank gently, then walked back to her car, which was parked outside the mansion.  
  
*  
  
"I'm sorry, but I cannot give any more interviews today," said Jennifer. She struggled to hold the cordless phone to her ear with her shoulder as she typed yet another email explaining that she could not do any more interviews - especially ones by reporters that were asking very personal questions about her and Hank.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry if you have to get this article printed up by tomorrow, but I have to gather together even more evidence to present to the board, and maybe later the courts. If I fail to do that, you will not have a story to write about later on down the track." Jennifer winced as a blast of foul language hit her ears, but continued typing. "Now, if you cannot be polite, then I will have to say goodbye. Goodbye, and please do not call me again, unless you have something constructive to say." Jennifer hung the phone up, and sighed.  
  
It had been two weeks since Jennifer had confronted Principal Kelly at the press conference, and the public's support had been pretty much even between the two sides, although Kelly did seem to have a slightly larger following. But Jennifer had slowly been gathering support, thanks to the help of Bill, the janitor at Bayville High. His support had helped Jennifer greatly, although he would never reveal his daughter's secret to help Jennifer - not that she had even thought of asking. Without the support of Bill, the students at the Xavier Institute, and, of course, Hank. Jennifer did not know how she could have survived the past two weeks without Hank. He had been visiting her every day (much to the interest of Nora Finklestein, who had finally found out who Jennifer's male visitor was!) and helping her with her case. The other students would also pop in from time to time; Kitty, Amara and Tabitha were the most common visitors, as were Kurt and Amanda, the two who had the greatest understanding of what Hank and Jennifer were going through. Even Ororo had come around to see Jennifer - although the two had never really been close - after visiting her sister, Vi - Evan's mother. Teacher and aunt would trade stories about the boy, and Ororo was surprised to find out that it was Jennifer's concern for Evan that had caused her and Hank to meet.  
  
But now that Jennifer was about to face her biggest challenge - Principal Kelly - she needed all the support she could get. And she knew that there were some people out there who did not like her for her opinions, and that she was in love with a mutant - especially one who looked as Hank did.  
  
The sound of a small explosion in the middle of the night caused Jennifer to wake up abruptly. After a few moments of blindly searching for her glasses - if she was blind during the day without them it was ten times harder at night, where she could not even distinguish colours - she climbed out of bed, and put on her dressing gown. She ran outside, to find that somebody had blown up her letterbox with a cherry bomb. Examining the remains Jennifer muttered, "Well, it's not Tabitha who did this - her work is much better."  
  
"Mutant-lover!" called a male voice out of the darkness.  
  
"You should go live with the freaks!" called another.  
  
Jennifer looked around blindly. "Who's there?! What do you want?!"  
  
Silence. Then - "This is just the beginning, Reed!"  
  
The shadow of a car without its headlights on loomed into view. Jennifer shielded her eyes as the lights snapped on, leaving her like a deer in the headlights. But the car did not hit her, instead, it drove by, and the youths inside used their escape as a last opportunity to attack Jennifer directly.  
  
"Ha! This is what you get for hanging around with those freaks!"  
  
Jennifer managed to leap out of the way as a few waterbombs were flung out of a window at her. They missed, landing at her feet, but Jennifer was still splattered with blue dye.  
  
"We'll be back!"  
  
She looked down at herself, the dye obvious in the light of her porch. "Gross. Just - gross."  
  
Jennifer shook off her night-gown, and went inside to have a shower.  
  
She would check out the rest of the damage in the morning.  
  
*  
  
Jennifer dropped the bucket of white paint on the ground next to her as she surveyed the damage. As well as destroying the letterbox, the vandals had smashed two windows and a light, dented the garage door, toilet-papered the tree in the front garden and the roof, and spray-painted messages on the rest of the house - in blue spray-paint.  
  
"Well, they obviously knew who I was dating," she remarked as she tore down a piece of paper proclaiming Hank as a monster from her fence. "Not the best photo, though."  
  
"Whoa."  
  
Jennifer turned around to find Kitty and a few of the others who had become regulars at what they called the 'Free Ms Reed' campaign.  
  
"What happened?" asked Roberto.  
  
Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. "Anti-mutant vandals," she replied, readjusting the straps of her paint-covered overalls. "I should have been expecting that this would happened."  
  
"Don't worry," said Rogue. "It's not your fault."  
  
"You're right." Jennifer smiled at the mutants. "Do you think you could give me a hand?"  
  
"Sure," said Bobby, hitting Jamie, who had also come along. Jamie multiplied, meaning there were now five of him. "Now you've got ten hands," added Bobby.  
  
Jennifer shook her head. "That was not what I meant. How are they going to get up there, for instance?" she asked, pointing.  
  
"No problem!" said Roberto.  
  
He was about to power up, but Jennifer stopped him. "Are you sure that that's a good idea?" she asked.  
  
"You've got a point."  
  
"Why don't we get the others over here?" suggested Kitty. "This could be fun!"  
  
"Oh, man!" groaned Ray. "I still haven't recovered from fixing up the mansion!"  
  
*  
  
"Look out below!"  
  
Everyone who was below Bobby and Roberto on the roof jumped out of the way, just in time to avoid a bucket of white paint that came crashing down from up above. Well, everyone avoided it, except for Ray, who had been listening to his portable CD player. He was immediately splattered with white.  
  
"Uh oh," muttered Jennifer to Jean. "This is not going to be pleasant."  
  
But, amazingly, Ray managed to keep his cool, and instead laughed it off with the rest.  
  
All of the other students who had not arrived in the morning had come by to help out and repair Jennifer's home.  
  
The group was having such a good time, they did not notice a news van pull up across the road.  
  
A reporter ran up to the group, cameras following in her wake. "Ms Reed?" she asked, upon reaching the woman. "What happened?"  
  
Jennifer looked around, to find that Jean and Scott, who had been standing next to her, had gone off to help a Jamie who was stuck in a tree. "Thanks," she muttered. To the reporter she said, "Last night my home was vandalised. They," Jennifer continued, gesturing to the mutants, "are helping me clean up."  
  
"Are they all mutants?"  
  
A small explosion coming from behind the house, followed by Tabitha's voice saying, "Whoops. Sorry," caused Jennifer to laugh.  
  
"Does that answer your question?" she asked in reply.  
  
The reporter laughed, too. "It certainly seems lively around here," she remarked. "Tell me, is your mutant man around?"  
  
It took Jennifer a few seconds to process that question. "Well, I have never thought of Hank as being mine," she replied, laughing. "And, no, he is not here. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to help the teens who have been kind enough to offer their assistance today." With that, Jennifer picked up a paintbrush, and walked away.  
  
"And there you have it," said the reporter, looking directly into the camera. "Even under such tragic circumstances, the mutant students have rallied around Jennifer Reed, the human woman they have accepted as one of their own." 


	15. Counterattack!

Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Fifteen: Counterattack!  
  
Jennifer's voice was anxious as she said to Hank, "I just came from my meeting with the board."  
  
"And?" prodded Hank, but he had a fair idea of how the meeting went by the slump in Jennifer's shoulders and the dullness in her eyes.  
  
"They have said that it is not up to them to reinstate me. They said that as I have already been replaced, I cannot have my job back."  
  
"That's not right!" said Hank, slamming a fist on the table.  
  
Jennifer tried to cover his hand with her own. "Calm down, Hank. It's just the beginning. We still have a lot of options for us to try. And we do have people out there to support us."  
  
"But there are also people who don't."  
  
"True," said Jennifer, remembering the vandals who had damaged her house. She had not told Hank about the death threats that she had also received - she did not want to worry Hank with what she thought was just someone looking to vent their anger - and was just hoping to get through this unharmed, and, most importantly, with Hank. "But don't worry, Hank. We can beat them. We just need to focus on Kelly at the moment. He's the one at the head of this campaign."  
  
Hank withdrew his hand from under Jennifer's, and instead wrapped it around her tiny frame, pulling her close. "You're right," he whispered into her hair. "You and I can do this. Together. You can beat him, you are strong enough. And that's why I love you."  
  
"And that's why I love you, too, Hank."  
  
*  
  
Jennifer hummed a small tune to herself - a song from 'Swan Lake' - as she flipped open her new letterbox and took out her mail. "Bill, bill, you may have already won. . ., death threat, interview, bill, catalogue, postcard, death threat, bill. I hate mail. Hate mail in particular."  
  
Still talking to herself, Jennifer continued to flip through her mail, while walking towards her front door. She did not notice the shadow that lurked around the corner, and disappeared back into the night.  
  
*  
  
About half an hour, Jennifer began to sense something odd - a presence that was hanging around her. The sound of a door shutting confirmed it - there was somebody in the house.  
  
"Hello? Kitty? Kurt? Is that you?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Who's there?!" demanded Jennifer, trying to keep the fear from seeping into her voice.  
  
"Hello, Jennifer."  
  
Jennifer whirled around, to face a figure dressed in black, his - her? - face hidden. The voice gave no clue to its gender, either. "What do you want?!"  
  
"To warn you, Jennifer. Mutants are dangerous."  
  
"Get out of my house!" she screamed, and tried to run away.  
  
"Not so fast, Jennifer." The figure grabbed her, and she screamed, kicking and fighting to get out of his grasp. "Don't make me hurt you, Jennifer."  
  
"Let go of me!" Jennifer cried, making one desperate attempt to get away.  
  
The figure reached up and grabbed a lamp that was on, and with one final blow, struck Jennifer on the back of the head. The room went dark, and Jennifer hit the floor, unconscious.  
  
The shadow ran from the room, having dropped the lamp.  
  
It did not notice the spark from the lamp's wiring catch the material of the curtains, and race up to the ceiling in tongues of scarlet flame, lighting up the room.  
  
*  
  
"Ohh. My head," groaned Jennifer, slowly coming back to life. "What happened?"  
  
She tried to get up, but fell back down due to a dizzy spell. However, she did manage to look around. She was still in her bedroom, but this bedroom was somehow different.  
  
Her eyes widened when she realised what was wrong.  
  
The room was on fire!  
  
Jennifer staggered to her feet, somehow finding the strength and the will to stand up. But the flames that had her trapped brought back the terrible memories, and she stood paralysed as she had done all those years before.  
  
"Help me," she whispered, her voice that of the child she had thought had died so long ago.  
  
"Hank?"  
  
The darkness overtook her, and she fell to the floor once more.  
  
*  
  
Hank was focused on his chess game with Scott, and so he did not pick up on the sharp smell of smoke that had wafted up to the mansion. But Logan did.  
  
"Do you smell that?" asked Logan.  
  
"No-" began Scott, but he was cut off by the sound of fire engine sirens.  
  
"There's a fire," Logan said simply. He looked out at the town, and his face grew concerned. "Hank," he called. "Doesn't she live down there?" He pointed to a spot in the distance where smoke could be seen rising in a lazy line.  
  
"What?" asked Hank, coming to the window. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the smoke, and the fire engines racing towards its source.  
  
The sirens cut out abruptly.  
  
"Jennifer!"  
  
*  
  
"Stand back!" shouted a fireman to the crowd surrounding the house. Once they had backed away, he turned to a woman in her mid-forties, a neighbour. "Who lives here?"  
  
The woman was obviously in shock, but she managed to answer. "Jennifer Reed."  
  
"Anyone else?"  
  
The woman shook her head. "Just her. She wasn't too popular for her beliefs about mutants. She was human, though," she added.  
  
"Do you have any idea what might have happened?" he asked her, trying to get the full story from the woman.  
  
"Not really, although Jennifer did mention having chased off some kids a few days ago." The woman nodded knowingly. "They spray-painted her house with rude messages."  
  
"I see," said the fireman. He turned to another fireman who was dressed in rescue gear, about to enter the house. "One victim, female, still inside the house! You must hurry!"  
  
The rescue fireman nodded, and started to head to the front door. He did not see a part of the roof break away directly above him, and begin to fall.  
  
"Look out!"  
  
The rescuer looked up, and instinctively tried to protect himself by raising his arms above his head. Everyone waited for the impact, but it never came.  
  
"What the?" muttered an onlooker.  
  
The crowd watched with wide eyes as the debris floated above the man's head. It then seemed to fly off to one side, away from anyone in the area.  
  
Everyone turned to see the X-Men standing there, in full uniform.  
  
"Beast," said Jean. "She's still alive, but only just."  
  
"Where is she?" asked Nightcrawler, ignoring the stares of onlookers. "I can 'port her out of there, if I know where she is."  
  
"No," said Cyclops. "It's too risky."  
  
Beast had heard enough of this meaningless debate. While the teenagers were busy discussing the best way to deal with this problem, the one thing he cared most about in the entire world was trapped in that inferno, barely clinging onto life.  
  
"Jennifer!" he shouted, and tried to run inside.  
  
But he was stopped by a policewoman. "You can't go in there!" she ordered, blocking his path.  
  
Beast merely growled at her and said, "She's still in there. Either you move aside or-" Beast stopped there, letting the threat hang in the air, punctuated only by another growl and the baring of his teeth.  
  
The woman swallowed, and moved aside. As he ran past her she whispered, "Good luck."  
  
Once inside the building Beast realised his mistake. He did not know exactly where Jennifer was, and he could waste precious time searching through every room. Beast knew that time was something Jennifer just did not have.  
  
It was staring to get even hotter in there. It seemed that as his distress rose, so too did the temperature.  
  
"Jennifer!" he called, hoping to get a response. "Jennifer! Where are you?!"  
  
No answer.  
  
Jean's voice filled Beast's mind. "She's in the bedroom. Storm is going to try and put out the fire. Get her out of there before the house collapses!"  
  
Beast nodded, and began running up the stairs, which, fortunately, were still intact.  
  
Beast let out of roar as he slammed the bedroom door, which was shut tight. He did not notice that the door handle was red hot as he forced it open.  
  
It swung open to reveal a room that shimmered with heat, and was dark with smoke. This was where the fore had started, and where Jennifer was.  
  
Beast coughed, and his eyes started to water as he looked around.  
  
There!  
  
Lying in a corner was Jennifer. But there was a problem.  
  
She was surrounded by flames, and it had already started licking at her skin.  
  
Beast was too worried to notice the gash on the back of her head, which was steadily oozing blood, congealing in a dark red mass in her light brown hair.  
  
Jennifer was not moving at all.  
  
"Jennifer!"  
  
Beast leapt through the flames and scooped up the limp figure in his arms.  
  
He began to make his way out of the house.  
  
*  
  
"Is she going to be all right?" asked Nora Finklestein, Jennifer's nosy neighbour. "What is going on in there?!" she demanded of Jean, who was struggling to keep the flames from consuming the house next door as a deluge caused by Storm fell from the skies.  
  
"There!" shouted Rogue. She pointed to the front door, where Beast was coming out of the burning house.  
  
He raced forwards, away from the flames, and only said one thing as he carried the lifeless figure of his beloved in his arms.  
  
"She's not breathing!" 


	16. Separation

Queen of Random: Ha! Thought that last bit would get your attention! Anyway, now that my exams are over, I can now devote a lot of my time to my stories. And then I am off to Jamboree (Rock 2004) where I am going to spend about a week helping young girls do things like rock climbing, abseiling, and stuff like that. Only downside is - well, there are actually two - I am afraid of heights, and the place Jamboree is being held at is famous for thermal activity - and so smells like rotten eggs. Eew. Or, as Kurt (and Katrin) might say, 'E'. Did you know that German people say 'E' instead of 'Eew'? True. And when I go to Germany next year, I will hear that, as well as spend a couple of hours playing with the rubbish bins that say thank you that are being put in Berlin. Sounds like fun, huh?  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Sixteen: Separation  
  
"Somebody! Help!" shouted Beast, looking around anxiously. Then he spotted the ambulance that must have pulled up while he was in the house. He ran over to the ambulance, ignoring the looks on the faces of the crowd that had watched in silence as the house burned. "Help her," he said to the paramedics, placing Jennifer's limp form in the arms of one of the paramedics.  
  
The paramedics kept their professionalism, surprisingly, and did not even bat an eyelid at the mutant in front of them. "We will," said one of them to Beast.  
  
The paramedic turned to his partner. "We have no pulse, and no signs of breathing!" he announced, climbing into the ambulance, and placing Jennifer on a stretcher. He grabbed a piece of equipment any fan of medical dramas would recognise in a heartbeat - a defibrillator. Looking at a monitor beside him, he said, "Charging."  
  
His partner nodded, and placed a mask on Jennifer, and began squeezing the bag that was attached.  
  
"Clear!"  
  
The other paramedic stood back as the man placed the paddles on Jennifer's chest. Her body jerked up suddenly, then was still once again.  
  
"No response," came the clipped tone of the paramedic. His partner continued squeezing the bag, forcing air into Jennifer. The paramedic made a few adjustments to the machine, then said to his partner, "Charging." He ignored the worried X-Men who had begun crowding around Beast. "Clear!" he shouted, repeating his motions with the paddles. Jennifer once again jerked, and. . .  
  
"We have a pulse!"  
  
There was audible sound of relief coming from everyone in the vicinity, as they knew that Jennifer had been brought back to them.  
  
"All right!" ordered the man who had brought Jennifer back. He turned to his partner. "Get up front, and get us to the hospital! This patient has burns that need to be seen to, right away! And there's a high chance of smoke inhalation!"  
  
The partner nodded. "Right."  
  
"I don't like the look of this gash, either," said the paramedic, inspecting the back of Jennifer's head. "They can take care of that at the hospital. Our job is to keep her alive until we get her there."  
  
As the man's partner jumped into the front of the ambulance, the paramedic went top close the back doors of the ambulance. He caught the eye of Beast, and said to him, "I'm sorry, but you can't come with us. Only family."  
  
"But we are family!" interrupted Shadowcat.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you cannot come with us." His apology was sincere.  
  
Beast watched in silence as the doors closed, shutting Jennifer out of his sight.  
  
The sound of sirens rang through the air as the ambulance pulled away.  
  
*  
  
It had taken a lot of convincing to get Hank to come back to the Institute.  
  
"I just spoke to the fireman who is in charge of the investigation," announced Xavier, coming into the room where Ororo and Logan were waiting, along with Scott and Jean.  
  
"And?" asked Ororo.  
  
"They don't really know the cause of the fire. But they suspect some form of foul play."  
  
"What?" asked Jean. "What do they mean by-"  
  
Logan's voice cut Jean off. "What makes them say that?"  
  
"Everything is just not adding up," replied Xavier.  
  
"What do they mean by that?" asked Jean.  
  
"Her head injury," said Scott, looking at Xavier. "Right?"  
  
Xavier nodded. "Yes. They think that somebody might have attacked her in her home."  
  
"Does Hank know of this?" asked Ororo.  
  
Xavier shook his head. "No. He has been too worried about Jennifer to do much more than call the hospital every fifteen minutes."  
  
"Do they know - do they know if - if she be all right?" asked Jean.  
  
"They wouldn't tell Hank because he is not family."  
  
"Where is Hank, anyway?" asked Ororo.  
  
"Last time I saw him, he was pacing up and down the corridor," said Scott. "I wonder how he is doing."  
  
*  
  
"Mr McCoy?" Kitty's voice was worried as she tried to speak to her teacher. "Mr McCoy, we're all worried, too. Don't shut us out!"  
  
Hank finally looked at Kitty. "I'm sorry. I'm just - worried." He reached for the phone again, and dialed the number for the hospital. "Hello?" he asked, when somebody answered down at the hospital. "Jennifer Reed was brought in earlier this evening - she was in a house fire. Can you tell me how she is?"  
  
"Are you family?" asked the voice on the other end. "I can't tell you unless you are."  
  
"No, I'm not family, but-"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you. Perhaps you should call her family and ask them. Goodbye." There was a click.  
  
Hank lowered the phone. "But I can't call her family," he said quietly.  
  
Kitty, who had been listening, asked, "Why can't you call her family?"  
  
Hank did not look up. "Jennifer is an only child, and-" Hank stopped there.  
  
"And?" prodded Kitty.  
  
Hank sighed and said, "Her parents - they were killed in a car accident a few years ago. Jennifer told me when I asked her about what her parents thought about us."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Hank straightened his back. He was not going to give up on Jennifer. He knew that in the same situation she would not give up on him.  
  
There was only one thing for him to do.  
  
*  
  
No one gave the tall man who walked through the front doors of the hospital a second glance.  
  
"What can I do for you?" asked the young blonde nurse seated at reception.  
  
"Jennifer Reed," said the man, leaning forward, as if he was telling the nurse a secret. "She was brought in here earlier. I was wondering if I could see her." The man smiled.  
  
The nurse, flustered, replied, "Let me just check." She spun around on her chair to look up something on the computer. She pulled up something on the computer screen, and frowned. "I'm sorry," said the nurse, turning back to the man. "Only family can be admitted. Are you family?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay then. Can I see some identification?"  
  
Then something odd happened. The nurse's face took on a strange look, and her eyes stared into space. Suddenly she shook her head, clearing it of something.  
  
She smiled. "All right then. Ms Reed is in room 304. That's on the third floor. Just take those lifts over there up to floor three. You should be able to find you way."  
  
"Thank you," said the man.  
  
As he walked away, the man cocked his head, as if he was listening to something.  
  
"Thank you, Charles," he murmured to half to himself, half not.  
  
"You're very welcome, Hank," came the mental reply.  
  
*  
  
Hank peered through the small glass window that separated him from Jennifer. She was lying in a bed, asleep. Her chest rose and fell in a rhythmic motion, indicating life. On her cheek was a small white bandage that must have been covering a burn. Her left arm was also bandaged, and from the looks of things, so was her left leg, though Hank wasn't quite sure, as she was covered with a thin white sheet.  
  
Hank reached out and touched the panel of glass. "I'm so sorry, Jennifer."  
  
Jennifer made no reply, as she was asleep - or unconscious. Hank couldn't really tell, as he could only see her, and he was several meters away from his love.  
  
"Excuse me. Are you family?"  
  
Hank turned to face the speaker, another nurse - this time a brunette. "Yes," he said, but somehow the eyes of the holographic image betrayed the fact.  
  
"Are you this patient's partner?" asked the nurse.  
  
"Yes. Please, I just want to see her."  
  
The nurse looked as if she was about to refuse, but then she smiled. "Sure. Just be quiet when you go in. She needs her rest."  
  
The nurse opened the door, and Hank entered the room. 


	17. Reunion

Queen of Random: Sorry about all the confusion. This is just the finished version of chapter seventeen. The version that had been posted was incomplete, and so was posted by mistake. On a lighter note, however, I have finished my exams and so have had time to devote to my writings. However, I did not have a lot of time after all to do that kind of thing. First, there was my 17th birthday, which was on the same day as the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King world premiere. I'm still excited about the fact that Peter Jackson wished me a Happy Birthday, and remembered me from last year. I'm also very happy that I saw Sir Ian McKellen on the same day (unlike the rest of the crowd, I was shouting 'Magneto!' and 'Can I join the Brotherhood?!'). Then, the next day, I had to go back to school (sigh) for leadership training. This was really starting to annoy me, as I have been waiting a while to watch X1.5 and X2. The next day, I had our school's Prizegiving, and that cut into a lot of my time. On the up side, though, I am now a Prefect. I don't know if our school has ever had a Prefect who also writes fanfiction. We have had a mutant student at our school, though (Anna Paquin a.k.a Rogue), which is kind of cool.  
  
Now if only I could be in the next X-Men movie(s). . .  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Seventeen: Reunion  
  
Hank quietly moved to Jennifer's bedside, and sat down. He hesitated as he reached out to gently touch her right hand, which showed no sign of injury from the fire.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Jennifer," he whispered. "If only-" he began, but he stopped when Jennifer stirred. "Jennifer?"  
  
Her mouth moved, almost painfully. But she managed to speak. "Hank?"  
  
"Yes, Jennifer, it's me."  
  
Her eyes fluttered open. "Am I still dreaming?" Although she could not move her head, her eyes flicked around the room. "Where am I?"  
  
"In the hospital. Your house - it caught on fire."  
  
"It did?" she asked, confused. "I - I don't remember." She was obviously out of it, especially when she asked, "Hank? There's something different about you. I can't quite put my finger on it."  
  
Just then, the light must have gone on in her head, and she remembered everything. She reached out and took Hank's hands. She pushed up his left sleeve, and smiled. There, on his wrist, was a holowatch just like the one Kurt wore to disguise his true form. "It's different, but I like it." Then she frowned. "How long have I been here?"  
  
"Three days."  
  
"Three days?" she asked, shocked. "I've been asleep for three days?" She closed her eyes. "That explains my really strange dreams." When Hank did not ask about the dreams, she told him about them, anyway. "I dreamt that we were on a tropical island, and there was a heat wave. The next thing I knew, I was struck by one of Ororo's lightning bolts."  
  
"That must have been when the paramedics brought you back to life using a defibrillator. I - I was so worried," Hank stammered, losing his composure. "I thought I had lost you for good."  
  
"I'm not that easy to get rid of," she whispered, reaching out to stroke his cheek with her good hand. "And I would never leave you willingly. It would take more than a house fire to do that."  
  
Hank captured the hand in his own, and held it close to his heart. "I know. But still-"  
  
The look in Jennifer's eyes stopped Hank from saying any more. "It's over now. I'm alive, and with you. That's all that matters to me. And should matter to you." She looked confused, and looked down at her left arm, and at her legs beneath the blanket. "How bad are my burns?" she asked, more to herself than to Hank. "I - I can't feel anything."  
  
"Don't worry," whispered Hank, holding on tight to Jennifer's right hand tightly. Then he leant forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
The sound of the door to the ward opening caused the couple to look up. A doctor was standing at the door, looking kind of embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?"  
  
"No."  
  
"That's good," said the doctor. "I'm Chris Winner, head of plastic surgery here at the hospital."  
  
"Plastic surgery?" asked Jennifer in a tome of mock horror. "I'm not that disfigured, Hank, am I? I know we agreed that looks don't matter, but I don't think this is quite necessary!"  
  
Dr Winner laughed. "It's always good to see a patient laugh so soon after the injury. They're normally the ones who recover the fastest." Dr Winner looked at Hank. "You must be the lucky man who will get to take this lovely woman home," he said with a smile. He extended a hand to Hank. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Hank did not know how to react to the offered hand. If he took it, the doctor would know that he was not human, but to refuse. . .  
  
Luckily, Jennifer was fast. "I'm sorry," said Jennifer, tightening her grip on Hank's hand, "I'm just so glad to be alive that I can't let go of his hand. You'll just have to go without."  
  
"No problem," said the doctor. He flipped through the notes that he held in his hands. "Now, Ms Reed, it's good to see you awake - we were quite worried that your brain might have been damaged due to a lack of oxygen. But now that that seems to be just a concern, our main focus is now are your burns. Now, the one on your face is actually quite mild - it's just like a bad case of sunburn. The burns on your left arm are second degree, and are more serious."  
  
"And the ones on my leg?"  
  
The doctor sighed. "The burns on your leg are third degree - very serious. But luckily, it is only a small portion of the leg itself that is burnt to that extent. That is because a piece of the ceiling fell onto your leg while you were unconscious. The rest of your leg is not so bad, and should heal quite quickly."  
  
"How soon will I be able to leave here?" asked Jennifer. Then she looked down. "Not that I really have anywhere to go when I do," she added quietly.  
  
"Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it?" suggested the doctor. "Your first priority is getting better." Dr Winner smiled, and left the room.  
  
Once they were alone, Jennifer turned to Hank and said quietly, "I - I don't know what will happen, what I can do. I don't know how long I will have to stay here, and even if I do get out of here quickly, it's not like I have anywhere to go. My home, my possessions, my car - they're all gone. I have nothing." Jennifer leaned back against the pillow, and closed her eyes.  
  
Hank saw the tear that trickled out from beneath the closed lids. Gently, he wiped it away. "You have me," he whispered. "And you always will. I love you, nothing can change that."  
  
Jennifer opened her eyes and looked at Hank. Her hazel eyes seemed empty, and almost devoid of the light that Hank had become used to seeing. "I love you, too, but there is only so much love can do. It can't turn back time, no matter how much love you have for me, and how much you want it, Hank. You can't change the past."  
  
"Then I'll find a mutant who can."  
  
"Don't bother, Hank. I know it sounds cold and callous of me to say so, but this accident has changed everything for us. We can't go back to what we once had. You told me a long time ago that I made a sacrifice, and at that time you were speaking of my job. But now it is much more than that. I almost died -"  
  
"You were dead. But you came back to me."  
  
"I almost died," repeated Jennifer. "And, to me, had I not been revived, it would have been no sacrifice, but to you. . . what would you have done if I had not survived?"  
  
"That's a moot point, because you are alive."  
  
"Answer my question, Hank."  
  
Hank did not answer, instead, he buried his head in his hands.  
  
"You see," she whispered. "Now you know the fear that has plagued me for a long time. I get so worried when I hear about these Danger Room sessions, and these missions you go on. I saw that news broadcast of when you and the X-Men, along with the Brotherhood, were fighting that robotic monstrosity that hunts mutants. You worry about me, when I am really the one who really has to worry about you. How could I not worry, when I may have to face the reality that I may one day have to send the man I love to his death?"  
  
Still Hank was silent. All this was flooding him with questions. What was Jennifer trying to say? That it was over?  
  
"I love you, Hank, but I think all our time recently has been focused on one thing - my getting my job back. It's caused so many problems, not just for us individually, but as a couple, too. All we have talked about recently was that one thing - we forgot to just be together. Is that making any sense, Hank?"  
  
Slowly, Hank nodded. "Yes, Jennifer."  
  
Jennifer smiled. "While I was asleep, I suppose, I had an epiphany. I thought that we should just let that whole problem go for the moment, and just let things happen, let things be like they were before." Jennifer gently placed her hand against Hank's cheek. "But as long as I have you, and your love, that's all that matters to me."  
  
Hank smiled, and took Jennifer's hand in his own. "That is all that matters to me, too."  
  
"That's good to know," said Jennifer, smiling. "Now tell me one thing, Hank. Is it just my imagination, or were you really wearing Speedos the night of the fire?" 


	18. Another Offer

Queen of Random: I can't really think of much to say for this little note from me. Sorry. Sorry if this one has been a bit slow in coming, though, as I have spent a few days in a state of confusion, having read that book, 'Ultimate X-Men', the one that documents X-Men over the years. The page that did that to me was the Summers' family tree. Now I am really confused, especially about something to do with one of my favourite X-Men comic. It's actually an X Factor Special - I'm sure one of you at least might have an idea as to which one I am talking about. It's 'Prisoner of Love', and it stars our big, bouncy, loveable blue Beast! Anyway, the thing that's confusing me is the name of the child that Jean is trying to feed. Jean calls him Christopher, and he seems to have telekinetic powers. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in 'Ultimate X-Men', it shows the Summers' family tree, including the other realities. I think I'll go through them each reality at a time.  
  
1. Normal reality (although I don't know how normal that reality is!): Scott married Jean's clone, Madelyne Pryor (who later became the insane Goblyn Queen), and they had a son, Nathan Christopher Summers (Cable). Now, I could go into the whole time-travelling, Slym and Redd fiasco, but that's all I'm gonna say on that.  
  
2. Days of Future Past: Jean and Scott had a daughter, Rachel (Phoenix II), who had telekinetic abilities, and could also access the Phoenix Force. She later became Mother Askani, and was also a member of Excalibur at one point.  
  
3. Age of Apocalypse: Sinister used genetic material from both Scott and Jean to create Nate Grey (X-Man).  
  
I'm not even gonna go into the Mutant X thing, where Alex (Havoc) got together and had a son with Madelyne Pryor (Marvel Woman), who was called Scotty. Oh, wait, I just did.  
  
So, the question I pose to you is this: Who is the boy? Is it Nathan, but he is being called by his middle name, Christopher? Or is it some other child, who just happens to be named Christopher?  
  
My head's starting to spin. I'll just disclaim this and then get on with the story. I don't anything to do with X-Men. All the comics and books and videos I sit and stare at I get from the library. I don't really own anything. If you managed to get through that thing above unscathed, then here is the next bit of 'Beauty and the Beast.'  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Eighteen: Another Offer  
  
"Mr McCoy! How did it go?!"  
  
That was the question that all the students were bombarding Hank with when he returned to the Institute from the hospital. He had spent a long time with Jennifer, but he was eventually kicked out by a nurse, who said the visiting hours were over.  
  
"Is Ms Reed all right?"  
  
"What is she going to do about her house?"  
  
"Maybe she can come and live here!"  
  
"What do you think, Mr McCoy?"  
  
Hank raised his hands in a form of surrender. "People, people! Calm down!"  
  
The chorus of teenage voices died down, allowing Hank's voice to be heard by all.  
  
"Jennifer is going to be fine." There was a unanimous sigh of relief from all the students. "She woke up while I was there, and there seems to be no brain damage due to lack of oxygen. She just has a few burns, and she's already on the road to recovery."  
  
"That's good," said Rogue.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Kitty. "That's, like, really great news!"  
  
"Was there any problem with your image inducer, Mr McCoy?"  
  
"No, Kurt," replied Hank, shaking his head. "It worked perfectly. It even took Jennifer a while to work out who I was, although I was probably due to the fact that she was still a bit out of it."  
  
"You mean like -" began Tabitha, but then she stopped, and shook her head. "No, I won't say it."  
  
"Won't say what?" asked Amara.  
  
"Won't say who else is out of it." Tabitha grinned. "That would have been too easy. I like a challenge."  
  
There came a few groans, and a few laughs, from the students.  
  
"All right, now," said Hank. "I've got to go see Professor Xavier, so you lot can all just run along now." He looked at his watch. "Don't you all have a training session with Storm in a little while?"  
  
"Oh, man!" muttered Bobby.  
  
"Hey, think of it this way. At least it's not Logan!" replied Roberto.  
  
*  
  
Being in the library brought back a lot of memories of Jennifer to Hank. It had, after all, been her favourite room in the mansion. But being in the library was a necessary evil, as it was where Professor Xavier was waiting for Hank, eager to hear news about Jennifer, and her condition.  
  
Xavier looked up from his book when he sensed Hank's presence in the library. "You're back, Hank. How did everything go?"  
  
Hank moved to a chair opposite Xavier and sat in it. "Better than I had hoped, Charles. She woke up while I was there. For the first time since. . . since. . ." Hank stopped there, unable to say any more.  
  
"Since the fire," finished Xavier. "It's good to hear that she will be all right. Her death would have been a great loss to us all, Hank. We all care for her a great deal. The students, in particular."  
  
"I know that, Charles, and that is why I am so happy that she will be all right. When I dragged her out of that blaze, and I realised she was not breathing, the world seemed to end right then and there. But then she was brought back. . ."  
  
Xavier smiled. "It was a miracle. She knew how much she was needed here, and how much everyone - you in particular - would have missed her. That is why she couldn't leave this world."  
  
"You're right, Charles," replied Hank. "But still, a part of me worries about her. Even though she will be all right, there are still things to consider."  
  
Xavier meshed his fingers together and nodded understandingly. "Things such as her insurance?"  
  
Hank nodded. "Yes. Everything she had was destroyed in that fire. Once she is discharged, she has nowhere to go. I think that idea frightens her, more than the fire did."  
  
Xavier smiled again. "Hank, you know that for someone like Jennifer, our arms are always open and welcoming."  
  
Hank's eyes lit up. "You mean. . ."  
  
"Jennifer is welcome to stay here as long as she needs to. I doubt the students will mind her presence at all. It may even be an advantage having her here."  
  
Hank rose from his chair. "Thank you, Charles. I will tell Jennifer the good news when I go and visit her tomorrow."  
  
"You're very welcome, Hank."  
  
*  
  
Hank showed up at the hospital as soon as visiting hours began, bouquet of flowers in hand. Once again, he was wearing a holowatch to hide his true appearance from the hospital staff. Although he did not like having to wear something like that, as it felt like he was lying to some degree, he would wear it if it gave him a glimpse of Jennifer. Of course, the holowatch, and the illusion it created, allowed him much more than a glimpse.  
  
"Oh, Hank," said Jennifer, when he presented to her the flowers. "They're beautiful. Thank you." Unlike the previous day, Jennifer's eyes were bright, and had regained some of their old sparkle. The sight of that lifted Hank's heart. "You're very welcome," he said, smiling.  
  
She smiled back. "And they're Forget-Me-Nots, too. Just like after the ballet." She sighed, remembering. "Those were the days."  
  
"Those were the days?" asked Hank. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"  
  
"Longer than some people would have thought we would have lasted," replied Jennifer. "Not that we care about what people think," she added.  
  
"Of course we don't. All I care about is you."  
  
Jennifer began to speak, but stopped, and reached for the glass of water that sat on the table by her bed. Because of all the smoke inhalation, her throat was still quite sore. After taking a sip, she said, "It will take me a while to sort out all the insurance, but it should cover the costs of fixing my house." She laughed bitterly. "Not that there is much to repair."  
  
Hank took the glass out of Jennifer's hands and placed it back on the table. "Well, I have some good news regarding that."  
  
"You did find a mutant who can change the past, didn't you?"  
  
Hank shook his head, laughing slightly. "No, I didn't, Jennifer. Charles has offered you a place to stay. At the Institute."  
  
"Really?" asked Jennifer, not quite believing what Hank was saying. "I can stay at the Institute?"  
  
"You sure can."  
  
"Oh, Hank!" cried Jennifer, sitting up. "Thank you!" Elated, she hugged him, but she had forgotten that her left arm was still heavily bandaged, and caused her a lot of pain. "Ow."  
  
"Easy, easy," said Hank, guiding Jennifer back down onto the bed. "You're still injured, remember?" He held onto her hand as he said that.  
  
"I know, I know," she replied, squeezing his hand reasuredly. "It's just so frustrating, not being able to move very far." She looked over Hank's shoulder to the wall behind him. "And the fact that I can only see a little makes that painting behind you very annoying."  
  
Hank turned around to see an abstract painting hanging from the wall. "Oh."  
  
"I prefer landscapes, myself," continued Jennifer. "There is just something so. . . wonderful, and healing about nature. Don't you agree?"  
  
"You're right. But stop worrying about that, and just focus on getting better."  
  
"All right," sighed Jennifer. "But will you do me a favour?"  
  
"Anything," replied Hank. "Just name it."  
  
"Tell me about the students. Are they all right? They won't tell me anything about the Institute. The only reason they let you in here," Jennifer lowered her voice, "is because they think you're human. And you and I both know that it is because of that." She gestured to the image inducer on Hank's wrist. "So, please, Hank, tell me how the students are."  
  
Hank was more than happy to comply with his love's request. 


	19. Welcome Home!

Queen of Random: This story is pretty much the only one of my three published ones that I have been working on recently, dunno why. I have, however, been taking some time out because of Christmas etc. and to write a lot of my new story, 'God defend New Zealand'. It's about Pyro, and his holiday to New Zealand. Just to clarify something: he's and Australian, and they do not get on with New Zealanders, so I thought it would be interesting for that to happen. I also thought it would be funny to make him do stuff that a lot of tourists do when they go to New Zealand, like bungy jumping!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Nineteen: Welcome Home!  
  
Time seemed to pass very slowly for Jennifer while she was in the hospital. Not only was she frustrated about the limits that the hospital placed on her, but also the actions of the police. No matter how many times she told them, they still could not accept the fact that she could not identify her assailant. She kept explaining to them that she could barely remember what had happened that night, let alone her attacker's face or voice.  
  
But there was some good news that she received during her period of recovery, and that was given to her by her doctor, Chris Winner.  
  
"Well, Jennifer, you'll be pleased to know that with this rate of recovery, I will be able to discharge you by the end of the week. Since it's Tuesday now, you should be out of here in about five days."  
  
"Really?" asked Jennifer.  
  
"Really, really," said the doctor, smiling. "Now that the bandage that was on your face was taken off last week, and the burns on your arm are healing better than expected, you can go home. The same thing goes for the burns on your legs. Apart from the third degree ones, there should be little or no scarring, at this rate. You are very lucky, Jennifer, and I wish you luck for the future."  
  
As he walked to the door, Jennifer realised something. "You know about Hank, don't you?"  
  
Dr Winner turned, and nodded. "I do know what he is."  
  
"When did you find out?" she asked. "Or did you always know?"  
  
The doctor smiled. "I was watching the news during a break here at the hospital. I watched the mutants come to your aid, and one carry you out of your house. And your name is now synonymous with mutants, especially those in Bayville."  
  
"Why did you not say anything?" asked Jennifer, confused.  
  
"I'm a doctor. I'm here to heal, not to judge."  
  
*  
  
What Dr Winner said came to pass. At the end of the week, Jennifer was discharged from the hospital.  
  
However, there was a catch.  
  
For the moment at least, Jennifer was confined to a wheelchair, as the doctors did not like the idea of her putting pressure on her left leg, which was still heavily bandaged due to the burns Jennifer had received during the fire.  
  
Parked in front of the Xavier Institute, Hank helped Jennifer out of the car and into her wheelchair. As he shut the door of the car behind her, she looked at the entrance to the Institute, slightly dismayed.  
  
"Jennifer?" asked Hank, worried. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"Half of me just doesn't want to go through with this, Hank."  
  
Hank tried not to sound too worried as he asked, "And the other half?"  
  
But he had no real cause for concern, as Jennifer smiled her old smile, but this time a hint of mischief played about her lips as she replied, "The other half of me is tempted to challenge Professor Xavier to a race in this thing." She gestured to her wheelchair.  
  
Hank kissed her on the cheek. "You ready?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, reaching for hank's hand and squeezing it gently. Hank moved behind the wheelchair, and the two of them entered the building.  
  
*  
  
"Surprise!"  
  
Jennifer looked around the foyer at all the mutants who had gathered to welcome her to her new home. They had obviously spent some time decorating it in preparation for her arrival. There were balloons on the wall in places that no ordinary person could have put them without seriously endangering themselves or others, and there were other decorations around the entrance as well.  
  
"Welcome home, Ms Reed!" cried Kitty, as she ran forward and hugged her former teacher.  
  
This seemed to be the signal all the other students had been waiting for. They all rushed forward, and Jennifer disappeared from sight for a moment, buried by a bunch of teenage bodies.  
  
"It's great to see you!"  
  
"Welcome to your new home!"  
  
That was pretty much what all the students were saying as they welcomed the new resident, and only human, to the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. There seemed to be no hostility in the room, directed at the woman, or otherwise.  
  
"Come on, Ms Reed," said Amara. "We're having a special dinner to celebrate!"  
  
"But first, I think Hank should show you to your room, Jennifer," interrupted Xavier. "It will be a while until dinner is ready, anyway."  
  
"Thank you, Professor," said Jennifer. "And thank you for your hospitality. Had it not been for your offer, I would have had no place to go once I was discharged from the hospital."  
  
"You're welcome, and I hope that everything will be in order up in your room."  
  
"Thank you again."  
  
As Hank and Jennifer began to make their way to the upper levels of the mansion, Jennifer couldn't help but wonder, quite bemused, which student it was that was brave - or crazy, or stupid - enough to try and get Logan to wear one of those little party hats.  
  
But the thing that made her even more curious was how had they managed to get it done.  
  
*  
  
"Welcome to your new home, Jennifer," said Hank, opening the door to a room in the adults section of the bedrooms.  
  
Jennifer gasped when she saw how large the room was. "It's at least twice the size of my old bedroom!" She wheeled herself into the room, and spun the chair around so she could see the whole room. "It's huge!"  
  
"I assume you like it," said Hank with a grin.  
  
"Like it?" asked Jennifer, running her hand along the polished wood of the vanity. "I love it!"  
  
Hank tapped a hand on the dresser. "There are some clothes in here. I don't know what they're like, as the girls got them as a gift for you."  
  
"I hope that Kitty didn't go overboard with the pink."  
  
Hank laughed. "Don't worry, Ororo went with them."  
  
"That makes me feel a lot better."  
  
"Dinner will be ready shortly," said Hank. "I'll leave you to get adjusted."  
  
He was about to leave the room, but Jennifer stopped him. "Thank you, Hank. And I love you."  
  
He could not help but smile. "I love you, too. And remember, if you need anything, my room is just down the hall."  
  
*  
  
Jennifer was the last to enter the dining room that evening for the celebratory dinner. She was dressed in a dress that she had found in the dresser, and there was a broad smile on her face.  
  
"Hi, Ms Reed," greeted Jean.  
  
"You go girl," added Tabitha.  
  
Jennifer smiled almost shyly at her former students. "Thank you, for all of your generosity. And for the new clothes."  
  
"You're welcome, Ms R."  
  
"Can we eat now?"  
  
Xavier and the other adults smiled. "All right, Kurt."  
  
In the split second before he began devouring the food that was set out before him, Kurt could be heard to utter, "Lecker!"  
  
Jennifer smiled, and joined in the feast as well.  
  
She was now part of the family. 


	20. Adjusting to Changes

Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Twenty: Adjusting to Changes  
  
Jennifer quickly adjusted to life in the Xavier Institute. Being an early riser, she would watch, amazed, at the way the Institute came to life in the mornings.  
  
But once the mansion had been emptied of all the teenagers, she would feel almost as empty as the mansion itself. Now that she could neither teach, nor distract herself from that reality by fighting Principal Kelly on the matter of her dismissal, she had pretty much nothing to do, for all the other adults had work to do on the matter of mutant rights, and train the X- Men and the other students.  
  
Jennifer felt very alone.  
  
At least, until a very simple question changed her point of view.  
  
"Can you help me with my homework? 'Cause I don't understand."  
  
Jennifer looked up from the book she was reading in the library. "What kind of homework is it, Jamie?"  
  
He scowled. "Science. The stuff Professor Xavier gives me is always too hard."  
  
Jennifer raised an eyebrow, smiling ever so slightly. "Is that so?"  
  
"Yeah. And it's boring! Science is always boring!"  
  
Jennifer did not even try to cover her laughter this time. "You'd better not let Hank hear you say that!" She smiled at the boy standing just above her eye level. "Come on. You won't think science is boring after this."  
  
*  
  
"Normally, Jamie, the most important rule in chemistry is not to lick the spoon, but I think in this case we can make an exception."  
  
Jamie looked up from the bowl seated on the counter in front of him and frowned. "This is chemistry? I thought we were just cooking."  
  
Jennifer smiled up at the boy from her wheelchair. "Chemistry is about transformations, about making new things out of old things. Now tell me, did the ingredients we used to make this cake change into something else?"  
  
Slowly, the boy nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Then a reaction took place. If the ingredients were the reactants, then what is the cake? Remember what I told you earlier, Jamie."  
  
Jamie thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "The product!"  
  
"Good work, Jamie. Now do you think chemistry is boring?"  
  
The answer came almost immediately. "No!"  
  
Jennifer continued to smile as she said, "That's what I wanted to hear. Now hurry up and ice this cake, so we can get onto the most important bit: licking the bowl!"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
While the boy happily complied with Jennifer's order, she held back a sigh. As much as she loved being around these students, with all their gifts, she couldn't help but feel slightly out of place. And without her physical human abilities, she was even more different.  
  
Not for the first time did she wish that she was a mutant.  
  
*  
  
Jennifer had always known that she was stubborn: she had had people telling her that for her entire life. And she was not the kind of person to let a small matter like not being able to walk to keep her from doing what she wanted to do.  
  
But she knew how Hank would react if she told him what she had planned.  
  
He had been fussing over her since the day she had arrived at the mansion. In the beginning, she thought it was sweet, and let him devote all his attention to her. But now if she even tried to rise from her chair unnecessarily. . . he would act as if she had tried to jump out of the window. Several times she had to restrain herself from just screaming at him to let her do her own thing. She was worried that she might not be able to stop herself the next time.  
  
As much as she loved Hank, she needed to know that she could do some things on her own. How could they even think of having a future together - which they had been discussing - when Jennifer felt that she could not do anything on her own? She had spent pretty much her whole life fending for herself, and she needed her independence.  
  
But the thing that worried Jennifer was how to explain all this to Hank.  
  
But it was not Hank she went to with her problem. It was Xavier.  
  
You see, it was not the loss of her ability to walk that was troubling her at that time (well, it was, but that was not her main concern), it was the void in her memory of the night which had left her without a home, without her possessions, and without the ability to walk, even if it was temporary.  
  
But the loss of the night's events from her mind was returning even faster than her ability to walk.  
  
And it frightened her.  
  
She would wake up in the night from a dream where she was surrounded by fire, heat and smoke, to find herself in a strange place. It would take her a few moments to remember where she was.  
  
And then it would all come rushing back to her. The memory of the figure dressed in black, its voice, its blank face. . . bit by bit, details would gather in her mind as she sat in the dark, to afraid even to scream.  
  
"Charles," she said to him one day when they were alone. Jennifer had made sure that Hank was nowhere near the vicinity when she spoke to Xavier. She did not want him to worry.  
  
This was her problem, not his.  
  
"What is it, Jennifer?"  
  
"I-" she began, but she stopped, hesitant. She bit her lip, indecisive. She had thought this would be easier, but she was wrong.  
  
"Yes?" prodded Xavier.  
  
Jennifer pushed forward, wanting to get this over and done with. "I would like you to read my mind. I need to know what happened that night."  
  
"The night of the fire?" Xavier asked gently.  
  
Jennifer nodded. "It's all coming back - in flashes. I just can't put it all together. I just need some help." She smiled wryly. "I never enjoyed jigsaw puzzles. And if I can put everything together, I might be able to figure out who did this to me." Jennifer gestured to her leg, still heavily bandaged, with her left hand and arm, which was also bandaged. "I just want to be able to have one night where I don't wake up about to scream," she finished quietly.  
  
"Of course," said Xavier. "And I understand. But I must ask you, are you sure that you want to do this?"  
  
Jennifer looked directly into his eyes. "I wouldn't have come to you otherwise. If I had any other option left to me, I would be taking it right now, instead of coming to you."  
  
"All right. Now, Jennifer, I want you to relax, and try to remember what happened that night."  
  
As Xavier placed his hands near the side of her head, Jennifer closed her eyes. She began to remember, and suddenly she was falling, falling into darkness. . .  
  
Jennifer opened her eyes, and sucked in a deep breath. She was back in her home, perfect in every detail, and most important of all, all of it was there, and unharmed by the fire.  
  
She was different, too. She did not have the brand of the fire on her skin.  
  
She did not have any more time to wonder at Xavier's power, as she felt a presence behind her, the same way as it had been on that fateful night.  
  
"Hello, Jennifer."  
  
With a jolt Jennifer realised that everything was going to happen exactly the same way it did that night. This was just a memory, and she could not change it.  
  
But she could use it to her advantage.  
  
Jennifer felt her body move, and turn around, even though she did not want to. Something else was controlling her, moving her body without volition.  
  
All she could do was watch, a prisoner inside her own body, as the night's events replayed themselves. But that was what she needed, she realised. She could take note of things that she had not really noticed before, but her subconscious had absorbed, waiting for her to find it.  
  
Something might give her a clue as to who her attacker was.  
  
She just had to remember. . .  
  
"What do you want?!" Jennifer's voice shouted, but Jennifer herself had not wanted to speak, and had not even tried to move at all.  
  
This was just a memory.  
  
"To warn you, Jennifer. Mutants are dangerous."  
  
There was something familiar about that voice. . . but what? Jennifer tried to remember, as the memory continued to play.  
  
"Get out of my house!"  
  
Once again Jennifer tried to run away, and once again the figure grabbed her. And again she kicked and fought to try and get away.  
  
"Don't make me hurt you, Jennifer," repeated the figure, still in the calm voice it had always used. The familiarity was growing stronger, but still. . .  
  
"Let go of me!"  
  
As she had done before, she tried to get away one last time, and the same thing happened this time.  
  
The figure reached up and grabbed a lamp that was on, and with one final blow, struck Jennifer on the back of the head. The room went dark, and Jennifer hit the floor, unconscious.  
  
But something different happened this time.  
  
Even though Jennifer knew she was supposed to be unconscious at this point, and, she was, she could still hear what was going on.  
  
Of course, she whispered to herself, the sleeping and the unconscious are still receptive to what's happening on the outside.  
  
The figure was speaking, but its voice was different, no longer calm, but starting to panic.  
  
"Ms Reed?" It was no longer calling her Jennifer. "Ms Reed? Ms Reed?! What've I done? I've got to get out of here!"  
  
Then the figure ran from the room.  
  
But not before Jennifer recognised the speaker's voice.  
  
"Jennifer? Jennifer?" called a voice, that echoed in her mind. "You can come back now."  
  
Jennifer opened her eyes to find Hank peering down at her, his big blue eyes filled with concern. He must have come into the room while I was under, mused Jennifer. Out loud she said, "It worked."  
  
"It did?" came Xavier's voice - it was, Jennifer realised, the one that had pulled her out of the memory.  
  
Jennifer looked around Hank to see Xavier still there behind him.  
  
"It worked," Jennifer repeated, more to herself than the two men. "I know who did it." 


	21. I Forgive You

Queen of Random: Don't you love a good cliff-hanger of an ending? I know I do. Granted, this one is nothing to the ones 'Shortland Street' has at the end of every year. I doubt many of you know about 'Shortland Street', unless you live here in New Zealand. One of the great things about New Zealand is 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Shortland Street'. But the best bit is being able to play the 'Spot the Shortland Street characters/actors' game. See, what you do is look for old 'Shortland Street' characters of the past. The two main ones are Karl Urban, who was Lionel on 'Shortland Street', but is now Éomer, and Craig Parker, who was Guy on 'Shortland Street', but was Haldir, the elf. Blonde wig alert! Also, when you go see The Return of the King (go see it! If you read the Ultimate X-Men comics, you'll know that both Toad and Cyclops like Lord of the Rings) look out for a black haired elf who has one line. That's Figwit. He's got his own little following, too. Figwit stands for 'Frodo is great, who is that?'. You see, when you watch the Council scene in The Fellowship of the Ring, he's sitting there, too. When Frodo says, "I will take it," you're thinking, 'Frodo is great', but then you see this really good-looking elf with black hair, and you think, 'Who is that?'. That's Figwit! I don't remember what the website devoted to him is, but it's something like www.figwitlives.com, but don't trust me on that. You'd be better off going to Google and doing a search for Figwit.  
  
To make this simple, I own none of the stuff mentioned above.  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Twenty-One: I Forgive You  
  
As soon as Jennifer revealed to Xavier and Hank who her attacker was, she went to the phone and called the local police, to tell them of the new developments.  
  
However, she left out a few details, mainly the fact that she was able to remember through the assistance of a mutant telepath.  
  
The detective in charge of her case, a man who went only by the surname McPhearson (as he did not like his first name, which was Emmett) was very, well, for lack of a better term, excited about this new information, although his form of excitement was really just a bland, 'that's excellent'.  
  
The very next day, he asked Jennifer to come down to the station, where they were interviewing a suspect, although the suspect had not been arrested at that point in time.  
  
Hank, disguised with an image inducer, and Ororo went with Jennifer down to the station.  
  
The fact that Ororo offered to come down to the station with Jennifer did not surprise her. Now that they had spent time together, helping the students (although Jennifer's was a more academic role, and Ororo's more of the mutant nature), and of course, and sort of bond had formed between the two. They were, after all, the only two adult females in the Institute, and neither of them could very well associate with humans on the outside anymore.  
  
As an officer warily led the three of them to where McPhearson was waiting - which just happened to be outside the small room with the viewing area next to where the suspect was waiting. After a brief conversation with the detective, Jennifer was given the chance to speak to the suspect, as she and the others suspected that something was not right with the fact that this was the person who had broken into Jennifer's home, and had inadvertently caused the fire.  
  
As Jennifer was about to wheel herself into the room, where she would speak to the suspect alone, she warned Hank to be sensible, and not do anything stupid.  
  
Then she asked Ororo to keep an eye on him, as she was not sure that he would be able to keep his bestial nature under control.  
  
This was, after all, the person who had nearly killed the woman he loved.  
  
Who could blame him for getting a little riled up?  
  
*  
  
The suspect looked up when Jennifer entered the room, eyes blearily focusing on the woman in the wheelchair.  
  
Jennifer spoke first. "Hello, Duncan."  
  
Duncan Matthews had changed a lot since the last time she had seen him - charging down the school field during football practice. He was out of his element, and there was a look of fear about him.  
  
Even though she knew what he had done to her, Jennifer could feel no hatred in her heart as she looked at him.  
  
Instead, she felt only pity.  
  
"Ms Reed," said Duncan, finally speaking. "I - I - didn't mean to. . ."  
  
Jennifer appeared to remain as untouched as she had been through her time as a teacher - but in reality, she did not want to have to do this, mentally torture this boy in front of her, using his guilt against him.  
  
Yes, his guilt. Jennifer could tell that it had been eating at him, and the sight of her, the victim, and living proof of his crimes, caused it to become at least ten times worse. As much as this boy had hurt her, she had no desire to hurt him back.  
  
She was not a monster, and she had not real desire to become one.  
  
But she wanted something from him.  
  
A piece of information, only he could give. And it could not be extracted by a telepath, because then it would be useless. After all, it would just be viewed as a mutant using its powers to hurt a human, and invade their privacy.  
  
It was Duncan who had to come out and say it.  
  
She got straight to the point. "Duncan. Why did you do this?"  
  
"I didn't mean to start the fire. It was an accident."  
  
"Duncan, look, I understand that it was an accident," Jennifer said after a brief pause.  
  
"You do?" Duncan's voice was almost pleading at this point.  
  
"I do."  
  
He looked down at the wheelchair. "But. . . you can't walk."  
  
Jennifer was silent, deep in thought. There was only one thing she felt she could do. Duncan was distraught, and she knew that he could not move beyond the point he was at mentally. He could only see the damage in front of him, not the hope that lay beneath the surface.  
  
Besides, Jennifer needed to move on, too, and so did everyone else she knew and cared about.  
  
Firm in her resolution, she gripped the sides of her wheelchair. . .  
  
And stood up.  
  
She stood up straighter than she felt she could have stood up. Perhaps it was just the thought that it was a victory that meant that she felt stronger than she normally would have.  
  
The fact that she could now stand on her own, unaided by anyone, meant that she could take her first steps towards her independence.  
  
And what first steps they were!  
  
They were like the first steps of a child, of an infant. Which was true, in a strange way. These were the first steps of Jennifer's new life, living with those at the Xavier Institute.  
  
Carefully, as if she was unsure of what she was doing, Jennifer walked slowly from her position by the doorway, ignoring the gasps from behind the one-way mirror, and finally came to stand next to Duncan, who was staring at her, his eyes full of wonder, even though a part of his spirit had been broken.  
  
"See?" she asked gently, as if she were speaking to a child. "Everything's all right. I'm not that hurt, and I can walk." She pulled out the chair that was next to Duncan, and sat down. "Can you do something for me, Duncan?" she asked, still in that same gentle voice, the one that made you want to trust her with everything.  
  
"What?" he asked eventually.  
  
Watching from behind the safety of the glass, Ororo whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, "What is she doing?"  
  
She did not expect an answer, so when she heard Hank's voice, almost as in awe as hers, she was surprised. "I don't really know. She's just. . . getting him to trust her."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Hank shook his head slowly. "She's always been like this, for as long as I've known her. She just. . . doesn't feel hate. It's as if she's risen above it. Sure, she feels anger, but that is just a weakness to her. She's willing to give almost anyone a second chance. It's quite amazing, actually."  
  
"But why Duncan?"  
  
"He must have something she needs from him. A piece of information. She's also been able to read people - not like she can read their minds - but she's acutely sensitive to their personalities, their emotions, their needs. And she can use that."  
  
Ororo was just silent after that.  
  
"Duncan, I want you to tell me why you did this. Why did you come into my house?" Jennifer's voice neither rose nor fell: it was perfectly even.  
  
"It was not my idea. He just said that we had to give you a little fright, that was all. Make you see sense. He said you had no idea what mutants could actually do, how bad they really are."  
  
"What did he want you to do?"  
  
Duncan let out a breath that rattled. "He just wanted me to go into your house, and give you a little message. But you fought me, and I couldn't - I'm sorry, Ms Reed."  
  
"I know you are, Duncan," Jennifer said gently. "And I forgive you for that."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"I do," she said simply. "I just want to know one thing: who was it that told you to do that to me?" Not that I can't guess, she thought to herself.  
  
Duncan was silent for a moment, almost too afraid to say the name. Then his face crumpled like that of a child, and for a moment Jennifer thought that she had lost him, that he had reverted back to a child-like state, and could not tell her the name of the man who engineered the plan.  
  
But he spoke. "It was Principal Kelly." Tears welled up in his blue eyes, before he grabbed Jennifer around the mid-section, burying his face in her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he murmured.  
  
Jennifer managed to keep her composure on the outside, but on the inside she was crying as loud as Duncan. As she gently stroked his blonde hair, and whispered reassuringly to him, she could not help but feel sorry that he had come out worse because of the fire: she had lost the temporary use of her body, while Duncan could possibly have lost his soul. 


	22. The Good and the Bad

Regina: Well, as I promised at the beginning of chapter seven of 'Trial by Fire' here is the next bit of 'Beauty and the Beast'. Now I know a lot of you were surprised to find that it was Duncan who broke into Jennifer's house, and not Kelly, but I felt it was not in Kelly's nature to put on a ski mask and break into a house. Now I could picture him manipulating somebody into doing it for him, and the poor sap that was the last piece of the puzzle would have to be Duncan. I know a lot of people don't like him, so I wanted people to see him for something other than a jerk. That's what happened to Pyro in 'Trial by Fire' - he went from the psycho Australian in 'Under Lock and Key', to the kind of softie that the bad-boy always turns into when he falls in love. Oops! Shouldn't have said that! Better just get on with what I should have said at the beginning.  
  
My two websites, Randomland and Mutant High, although not complete, are up, so go check them out at (that's Randomland) and (if you can't figure out which one that is, then I'm not going to tell you. All right, it's Mutant High).  
  
That's it from me. Happy reading!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Good and the Bad  
  
Jennifer and Hank sat in stony silence in the car on the way back. Ororo, being the intelligent woman that she was, had decided to find another way back to the Institute.  
  
Jennifer had not spoken a word since she had left the room where Duncan Matthews had been sitting, and revealed to her that it was Principal Kelly that had made him break into her house, inadvertently causing the fire that nearly killed her. Her jaw was set in a grim line, and her eyes were as dark as a black hole: no light escaped from them. Her small and delicate hands were clenched tightly into balls, and they were shaking as they hovered above her legs, which were finally able to move on their own.  
  
As Hank was driving, he could not take her in his arms and comfort her, even though it was his only thought at the time. He was driving on auto- pilot, partially focused on the road ahead of him, but mostly on the woman sitting next to him.  
  
She did not cry, even though he could tell she needed to. She had not cried when she had come out of the fire, she had not cried when she was told that she would have to spend some time in a wheel-chair, she did not even cry at the thought of permanent scarring because of the fire.  
  
But she needed to cry now.  
  
Finally, she spoke, breaking through the silence that haunted the car.  
  
"He's gone."  
  
Hank managed to keep on driving safely. Jennifer had just come out of one accident, and he didn't want to put her straight back into another. And he knew what another car accident could do to her, after the last one.  
  
"Principal Kelly?" he asked after a pause.  
  
Jennifer blinked, but it was not to hold back tears. Hank could see no sign of tears in her hazel eyes. "No. Duncan. Principal Kelly destroyed him. Duncan wasn't perfect, but still. . ."  
  
"No one deserves to have that happen to them."  
  
"It's more than that, Hank. I know what you and the others were thinking when I was in there talking to him." Her eyes broke away from that fixed point in front of her only she could see. "Everyone does it. No one understands why. . ."  
  
"Why you forgive people so easily?" Hank asked gently.  
  
She shook her head. "Why I can't hate. But now, when I think of what he did to Duncan, I can only think of that. It -" here Jennifer swallowed, and tried again "- frightens me." She sighed. "No one understands why I do things like that."  
  
"Or why you look beyond what a person is, to who they are."  
  
Jennifer did not smile, but Hank could see a slight light in her eyes, no longer so devoid of the light that normally filled them. "You do." She paused. "If only everyone else did. But no one ever truly will understand."  
  
"Understand what?"  
  
She looked away. "Nothing."  
  
Hank realised that it would be useless to try and find out more.  
  
*  
  
It was Jean who had taken the news that it was Duncan who had done it the hardest. It was understandable, though, as she was the only one who had really known Duncan.  
  
But everyone immediately accepted that it was Principal Kelly who had set the ball rolling.  
  
"I can't believe it!" shouted Rogue, her gloved hands balled into fists. Although she was the most vocal of all the students (after Kurt, who was teleporting all around the mansion muttering to himself in German, using language that would make the others wince if they knew what he was saying), they all were angry.  
  
They already had a strong dislike (although Jennifer was quickly corrected, whenever she tried to say this) for Principal Kelly, and so the news that it was him who had hurt their favourite human teacher did nothing to help him.  
  
But they all agreed not to do anything bad towards him.  
  
Even Tabitha, but that took a lot of convincing.  
  
But while the students grumbled about being restrained from venting their feelings, Hank and Jennifer talked late into the night. Or rather, Hank talked, and Jennifer half-listened.  
  
But they finally came to an agreement.  
  
Although McPhearson was ready to take action, and arrest Kelly, Jennifer asked for a short reprieve (although Hank was not too happy about this), so that she could speak to him.  
  
So she found him, where he normally was on a school day, in his office.  
  
He stood up very quickly when Jennifer walked through the door. "What are you doing here?" he demanded of the woman in front of him.  
  
"Ray forgot his homework, and Charles asked me if I would be able to bring it in for him." Jennifer smiled. "And since I was here, I thought I might pay a visit to a few old friends." Her hazel eyes narrowed. "Namely you."  
  
Kelly glanced around nervously. "Is he here?"  
  
"Hank? He's waiting in the car."  
  
Kelly seemed to compose himself. "What do you want, Ms Reed?"  
  
"I just want to talk, Edward. About Duncan Matthews."  
  
Kelly loosened his tie. "What about Duncan Matthews?"  
  
Jennifer sat down in the chair in front of her. "I'm sure you've heard that he suffered from a mental breakdown, and has been taken to a place where he can get the best treatment possible."  
  
"It's a shame. He was a good football player."  
  
Jennifer raised her voice slightly. "Is that all you have to say about this? 'He was a good football player'? Well." Jennifer leaned back in her chair. "I doubt you will have heard about what he told us before his breakdown. About what really happened the night of the fire."  
  
Kelly was a bad liar. "No, I have no idea."  
  
Jennifer rose from her chair. "That's all I wanted to say to you, Edward." She walked to the door, and opened. Her hand on the handle, she turned back to face Principal Kelly, and said, "Oh, and Edward? Tell Detective McPhearson I said hello."  
  
She walked from the room, before Kelly could answer.  
  
*  
  
There was some good news, and some bad news waiting for the students at the Institute when they got home. The good news was that Duncan was doing much better (although some people wondered if that could really be considered 'good news'. All of the teachers insisted that it was.), but it was the bad news that caused the biggest reaction.  
  
"What do you mean, they can't do anything?" asked Bobby.  
  
"They can't arrest Principal Kelly just yet, as they are still trying to get enough evidence together for a warrant," explained Hank.  
  
"But Duncan told them it was him!" replied Roberto.  
  
"The word of a crazy person doesn't weigh much in this situation."  
  
"Logan!"  
  
"All right, all right. The boy's not crazy."  
  
"He's sick, that's all," said Jean quietly, coming to Duncan's defence.  
  
"Jean is right," agreed Xavier. "Duncan is as much a victim of Principal Kelly as Jennifer."  
  
"Or you, for that matter," added Jennifer.  
  
"We know."  
  
"It just occurred to me," said Jennifer, trying to change the subject, "that in all of the commotion, we have forgotten that it is nearly the end of the school year." She looked at Scott and Jean. "And you two are going to be graduating."  
  
"You're right," replied Scott.  
  
"Well, then, what are we going to do about that?" 


	23. A Cause for Celebration

Regina: Goodbye writer's block! But it might be back soon. I just need to find my weapons storage facility. I can't believe I forgot where I put it! And it's got my stuff for defeating writer's block! But it's gone for now, and that's why I have got this next chapter all done! I am so proud of myself.  
  
But another reason I have not been able to write any more of this is that I have been working on my websites: 'Mutant High' and 'Randomland'. And now I have been working on my new Yahoo! Group. It's called 'Beauty of the Beast', and it's dedicated to our big, bouncy, and lovable blue Beast! Of course, you can talk about other stuff to do with X-Men, but I decided to build it becuase I noticed there was a distinct lask of sites etc. about the Beast. So, i'll put the link up on my bio, and once you've read this chapter, and reviewed it, you can go and visit it! Yay for the Beast!  
  
Beauty and the Beast  
  
Chapter Twenty-Three: A Cause for Celebration  
  
"Par-tay!" shouted Kurt, jumping to his feet.  
  
"I suppose that's one possibility," said Jennifer wryly, but a hint of a smile played at the edges of her lips.  
  
"Well, what would you rather have us do?" asked Kitty.  
  
"Graduate first!" replied all the adults as one, Jennifer included.  
  
"I think you've been living here for far too long, Ms Reed," interrupted Bobby.  
  
"Yeah. You're starting to sound just like them!" added Ray.  
  
Jennifer blinked. "Am I? And to think," she added, her voice dry, "I thought I was the normal one around here."  
  
Everyone laughed, except for Hank, who said, "You are definitely not normal. You are amazing, and I am lucky to have you."  
  
Everyone went, "Aw." (Except for a few of the younger boys, who stuck their fingers down their throats, and made gagging noises. But they quickly stopped when they saw that Logan was glaring at them.)  
  
"It seems a celebration is in order, then," Ororo summed up neatly.  
  
"I believe that is the best solution," added Xavier.  
  
"All right!" shouted all the students. "Let's celebrate!"  
  
"Slow down, punks," interrupted Logan. "You've still got to go through the graduation first. And that's a couple of weeks away. You've got plenty of time to get ready, so slow down."  
  
*  
  
Although Logan did tell the students to slow down, the weeks leading up to the graduation sped by, until finally it was time for the big day itself.  
  
"What do you think?" asked Jean, turning around so that everyone could get the best view possible of her gown.  
  
"Um. . ."  
  
"Er. . ."  
  
"Well. . ."  
  
"Come on, Jean!" Scott's voice floated up the hallway. "Everyone else is ready!"  
  
"Coming!"  
  
Bobby, Kurt and Ray all let out huge sighs of relief - but only when Jean was out of range.  
  
"Hurry up, guys!"  
  
Kurt instantly teleported outside to where the group was waiting, leaving Bobby and Ray to catch up with the group in their own way.  
  
*  
  
From their vantage point, Xavier, Ororo, Logan, Hank and Jennifer had an excellent view of the proceedings below them on the field.  
  
"Detective McPhearson!" Ororo said suddenly. "What are you doing here?"  
  
The plain clothes detective looked extremely uncomfortable as he replied, "I was in the area on business."  
  
From her seat next to Hank, who was dressed much like a detective from an old movie - hat and trenchcoat included - Jennifer said, "Well, it was nice of you to come by."  
  
"Why don't you join us?" suggested Xavier.  
  
McPhearson declined the offer. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay. More work to do."  
  
Hank looked up at McPhearson from beneath the wide brim of his hat. "No rest for the wicked?"  
  
"Seems so. I'll be seeing you later, then," McPhearson, and then he left, just as suddenly as he had arrived.  
  
*  
  
The actual graduation ceremony went smoothly, except for a few expected bumps in the road. The main one was the silence that permeated the air when Jean and Scott went up onto the podium to receive their diplomas, which was broken only by the clapping and cheering of the students and the teachers who knew the students best, as well as Jean's family. But apart from them, the audience sat in stony silence, refusing to acknowledge the achievements of the Xavier Institute's two eldest students.  
  
But there seemed to be no outward signs that this bothered Jean and Scott, as well as the other students, even though Principal Kelly's speeches did seemed to be aimed in their direction - and not in a positive way.  
  
But what did they care! They had graduated!  
  
"Congratulations!"  
  
"Well done!"  
  
"Thanks, you guys."  
  
"Now let's celebrate!"  
  
"Kurt!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
But the celebrations were cut off, as a loud and very angry voice could be heard over the happy voices.  
  
"What are you doing?! You can't do this to me!"  
  
"Edward Kelly, I am placing you under arrest for the conspiracy to commit the murder of Jennifer Reed," said McPhearson, grabbing Principal Kelly's arms and moving them behind his back, where he proceeded to put handcuffs on them. "You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can, and will be used as evidence in a court of law."  
  
"You can't do this! I am innocent, I tell you!" shouted Kelly.  
  
McPhearson ignored his shouts. "You have the right to an attorney, and if you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you."  
  
As Kelly was pulled towards the waiting police car, next to which a uniformed officer was standing, McPhearson nodded towards the company from the Institute. "Told you I had work to do," was all he said, before pushing Kelly into the backseat of the squad car, and getting into the driver's seat, and driving away.  
  
*  
  
"Yeah! Shake that tail, fuzzy dude!"  
  
As you can tell, the students were devastated by the arrest of Principal Kelly.  
  
For about a nanosecond (if that long!).  
  
And this meant that they could finally do what they had been waiting for, and planning for, and waiting for the past few weeks. To celebrate the graduation of Scott and Jean.  
  
As well as their own freedom from school, over the summer, at least.  
  
So after a time, they began raising their glasses to celebrate.  
  
"To Scott and Jean! Best of luck for the future!"  
  
"To the X-Men, and the future of mutants everywhere!"  
  
But after a while, they started to get a bit silly, especially as more and more of the teens got hyped up on sugar.  
  
"To the X-Men! And their tight-fitting uniforms!"  
  
"To toast, which always land butter side down!"  
  
"To Detective McPhearson, who finally gave Kelly what he deserved."  
  
Until finally, the toasts got beyond silly.  
  
"To Principal Kelly! Have fun in jail, but don't drop the soap!"  
  
"Here, here!"  
  
"I think that's quite enough," interrupted Ororo, putting a halt to the celebrations.  
  
"Aw!"  
  
"I guess you're right."  
  
"This is supposed to be a celebration," added Hank. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have one more thing to celebrate about." Smiling at everyone, he went on. "I was going to wait until your birthday next month, Jennifer, but I suppose now is as good a time as any."  
  
Jennifer, who had been standing next to the table, talking to Ororo, put down her glass and said, "I told you, I didn't want any gifts, let alone one that I get early." But despite her words, her hazel eyes sparkled. "But if you went to all that trouble, and have already got me my present, let's see it." To Ororo she whispered, "I wonder if he picked up on my hints. Maybe I was too subtle. I only mentioned that book five times."  
  
"Close your eyes."  
  
"I don't see why we have to go through all of this," muttered Jennifer, but she closed her eyes anyway. She could hear a few giggles and shushing going on, but that was about it.  
  
"Okay, now open them."  
  
Jennifer complied, to find the sight that greeted her was not the book she had been wanting, instead, there were all the students and the adults with smiles on their faces. . .  
  
. . . and Hank on one knee right in front of her, holding out a small box with a ring in it. Jennifer's hands flew to her mouth as a small gasp escaped from it. She said nothing more.  
  
She did not have to, as Hank had something to say.  
  
"Jennifer, will you marry me?" he asked simply.  
  
Jennifer looked around with wide eyes as she struggled to find the words. But then she saw the smile creeping across Xavier's face, and knew that she did not have to say it, but that it would sound best coming from her. "I love you, Hank, and yes, I will marry you." 


	24. The Wedding Witch

**Regina:** I am so sorry for not writing any more of Beauty and the Beast, but I have been so busy with my own life, and with many more fics that I could not think of anything to write. And for a while I completely forgot that I had to write anything more! Please don't hurt me! I will never do it again without a good reason ever again!  
  
Now that that is over, I am going to make my own complaint. At the time I updated this chapter, Beauty and the Beast has a total of 98 reviews, and that annoys me greatly. Why? I was so hoping that my last chapter would cause this story to go over the 100 review mark, and that chapter ended with a proposal, no less! What is wrong with you people? Isn't that the kind of thing a story like this should have? So please, review this story, and then go off and take a look at my Beast Yahoo! Group (called Beauty of the Beast). The address is in my bio, because for some strange reason, if I put a web address into a chapter it doesn't upload properly.  
  
As usual, I own squat, and lets see if we can't get this story past 100 reviews! The 100th reviewer might get something special - or they might appear briefly in this story, or something like that!  
  
**Beauty and the Beast  
**  
_Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wedding Witch  
_  
"I love you, Hank, and yes, I will marry you."  
  
The air filled with cheers and shouts of delight from all of the students at the Xavier Institute, as Hank took Jennifer, his new fiancee, into his arms, and spun her around with delight.  
  
Finally her put her down, but did not let go, continuing to stare into her hazel eyes.  
  
After a time, he realised that he and Jennifer had an audience.  
  
"'Bout time," said Tabitha, but she was smiling as she said that.  
  
Everyone in the room was smiling as well.  
  
Even Logan, although he was trying - and failing miserably - to hide it.  
  
"Congratulations!" shouted Kitty, racing forward and hugging Jennifer, as Bobby gave Hank a hi-five.  
  
"Hooray!"  
  
"Yes, congratulations, Hank," said Xavier. "It seems that something good always comes from something bad, and this is no exception."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Bobby.  
  
"I think he means that if I was not a mutant, I would not have left the school, and Jennifer would not have taken my place," said Hank.  
  
"And none of this would ever have happened," added Jennifer.  
  
"Butterfly effect, huh?" said Kitty.  
  
"Butterfly effect?" asked Ray, confused.  
  
"They say a butterfly flapping its wings over in China can cause a chain reaction, resulting in a tornado over here," explained Jennifer. "That means that the smallest event can have very big consequences."  
  
"Cool. You learn something new every day."  
  
"Come on!" interrupted Tabitha, bored. "Let's get back to the party!"  
  
X X X  
  
The table let out a groan as Kitty dumped her heavy load onto it, in front of all the girls and women of the Institute.  
  
"Are you sure this is necessary?" asked Jennifer, eyeing the dozens of magazines that now littered the table.  
  
"What are you, like, thinking?" asked Kitty. "We've got to start planning your wedding!"  
  
"But Hank and I haven't even started -"  
  
"Liar," said Tabitha. "We know you've been discussing it."  
  
"What have we told you about eavesdropping?"  
  
"Oh, give it up! You're never gonna stop us!"  
  
Jennifer did give up - for the moment at least. "Where did you get all of these magazines, Kitty? Why would you even have all of these bridal magazines, anyway?"  
  
Kitty shrugged. "A girl can plan ahead, can't she?" Everyone just stared at her, but she ignored them. "Sit!" she ordered. Everyone sat. "So," began Kitty, in a scarily business-like tone. "Have you thought about what you are going to wear to the wedding?"  
  
"Kitty, Hank only proposed last night!"  
  
"Details, details! So, have you thought about anything?" asked Kitty.  
  
"White?" Jennifer hoped this was the right answer.  
  
Kitty smiled. "Nice to see you've thought about something. Now where do you want to get married? A church? A garden?"  
  
"Shouldn't she and Mr McCoy decide that?" asked Rogue, who had been dragged along to this 'meeting'.  
  
But Kitty was on a roll. "Well, that can wait a few days. Now what about bridesmaids?"  
  
"Bridesmaids?" asked Jennifer, her voice tight. "Um -"  
  
Luckily Roberto came to Jennifer's rescue when he came into the kitchen. "Kitty. Professor Xavier wants you."  
  
"Aw, rats! Sorry," apologised Kitty, "we'll just have to discuss this later. You can keep those for a while," she said, when Jennifer began to hand her the magazines. "Think about what we've talked about, okay?"  
  
With that, she left, and everyone - Jennifer especially - let out an audible sigh of relief.  
  
"What was that?" asked Rogue, horror in her voice.  
  
"I don't know," replied Tabitha, "but I don't ever want to see it again."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Ms Reed?" asked Amara. "Are you all right?"  
  
Jennifer blinked a few times, then asked, "How far to Vegas do you think Hank and I would get before she realised it?"  
  
"Not far," replied Jean. "And I suggest you don't. Not if you want to live, anyway."  
  
"Oh, dear. What have I gotten myself into?"  
  
X X X  
  
Unfortunately, Jennifer found she could not escape the Wedding Witch - as Tabitha had dubbed Kitty, and everyone (even the boys!) had begun to call her that. She did her best to avoid Kitty, but no matter what she tried, Kitty always found her.  
  
And since it was summer, there was no school.  
  
And that meant Kitty had a lot of free time on her hands.  
  
Too much free time.  
  
By the end of the first week, she had become chief bridesmaid, and had taken over the wedding. The date of which had still not been decided on.  
  
But that did not matter to Kitty. For all outward appearances, one would think it was her that was getting married, not Hank and Jennifer.  
  
Hank, wisely enough, stayed clear out of Kitty's wedding radar.  
  
Jennifer, having the dubious distinction of being the bride (and the wedding is, of course, all about the bride, anyway - not the Kitty really cared) did not have that luxury.  
  
"It's. . . unnatural," Rogue said one evening, when they were free from Kitty's wedding blitz.  
  
"Can't. . . take. . . my. . . eyes. . . off of it," said Tabitha, writhing about in her chair. "Must. . . resist. . . the Wedding Witch's. . . spell. Failing. . . miserably. . ." She fell off the chair, causing everyone to laugh their heads off.  
  
"Have you and Mr McCoy actually decided on anything for this wedding?" asked Jean.  
  
"We don't have an exact date picked out," replied Jennifer, taking a sip from her glass, "but we both want it to happen soon."  
  
"Soon?" asked Amara. "How soon?"  
  
"No more than a few months, I think," said Jennifer thoughtfully. "And we don't want it to be anything too big, either. Kitty is going to be disappointed. Yes, soon and small."  
  
"Why?" asked Rogue.  
  
"Well," began Jennifer. "It will namely be you - the students - and a few other mutant guests and friends of Hank and myself. But due to this whole mutant fiasco, that number will be seriously limited." Jennifer smiled. "It will save a lot of money, I think."  
  
"Well, it'll be your funeral when you try and tell Kitty that you want a small wedding," said Jean. "I think she was aiming a wedding to rival Charles and Diana."  
  
"Kitty will just have to deal with that herself. Now what do you think should be done about this wedding? Besides elope, although if Kitty does continue on this path, I'll definitely be considering it."  
  
"Well," began Rogue, but the sound of the door opening not too far away caused a look of panic to pass through the group.  
  
"Hey!" called Kitty's voice. "I've got some dress magazines!"  
  
"It's the Wedding Witch!"  
  
"Run!"  
  
The girls and Jennifer scattered.  
  
By the time Kitty arrived at the room, less than two minutes later, she found the room empty, but in a state like the Marie Celeste.  
  
"Where'd everyone go?" 


	25. Possibilities

**Regina:** Congratulations to the Uncanny R Man, for being the 100th reviewer (or rather, having the 100th review)! And for holding the record for most reviews. . . at once. I must say, it was interesting to have someone go through and review every chapter of the story. I'm kinda glad it wasn't any longer!  
  
**Beauty and the Beast  
**  
_Chapter Twenty-Five:_ _Possibilities   
_  
Somehow, control of the wedding had been wrested from Kitty's iron grip, and Hank and Jennifer were able to plan it themselves, rather that be spectators to one of the most important days of their lives.  
  
Jennifer leant against Hank as the two of them sat on one of the couches in the recreation room. The students were giving them a wide berth, knowing that they wanted some time alone. Absently twisting her ring, Jennifer said, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"  
  
Hank looked down at Jennifer. "Go through with what? The wedding? You're not having second thoughts, are you?"  
  
Jennifer shook her head. "Of course I want to marry you, Hank, but do you think a month is a bit too soon? I mean, there will be so many things to organise, and don't Kitty to do any of the work for us any more."  
  
Hank smiled. "A month is not soon enough, Jennifer. I wish we could just get married tomorrow, and then begin our life together as soon as possible."  
  
"Oh, Hank. . ."  
  
Hank stretched his arm out and wrapped it around Jennifer's shoulder, and with a sigh of contentment, she let him pull her close. And there they remained, content to just be in each other's company, in the peace that they had had so little of during the course of their relationship.  
  
A group of students walking past the recreation room noticed the couple through the open door. Tabitha, who was part of the group, suddenly mentioned something that had been bothering her for some time.  
  
"Do you think if they have kids that they'll look like Kurt?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
X X X  
  
At dinner that evening, Hank and Jennifer made an announcement.  
  
"As all of you know, Jennifer and I are planning to get married soon. . ."  
  
"Yeah. We were there when you proposed, remember?"  
  
"Bobby!"  
  
Hank glared at Bobby, before repeating himself. "As all of you know, Jennifer and I are planning to get married soon, but we have been thinking about what will happen beyond that."  
  
"Where are you going for your honeymoon?"  
  
"I think Mr McCoy had something to say."  
  
"Thank you, Scott," said Jennifer. "Continue, Hank."  
  
"And we have been thinking about what will happen beyond that." Hank's voice was starting to get annoyed. "And one thing we have been talking about is where we are going to live once we get married."  
  
The students were silent. Jamie was the first to speak.  
  
"What do you mean, where are you going to live? You're gonna stay here, aren't you?"  
  
Jennifer shook her head slowly. "It's not that simple. There are many things to take into account. We're not sure if we can, I don't know how to say this but, well, we'd want privacy. It's all right now, but soon it will be different."  
  
"It's not that we don't want to be here," added Hank, "but it does bring up certain problems."  
  
Jennifer nodded in agreement. "And then there is the possibility of children. . ."  
  
"Babies?!" squealed Kitty.  
  
"Babies are not just cute little things that you can play with, Kitty," warned Hank.  
  
"How many of you would like to be woken up in the middle of the night by a baby screaming?" asked Jennifer. "And then have it happen the next night? And the next?" When the students replied with silence, Jennifer leaned back into her chair. "Thought so."  
  
"But you do want to have kids, right?" asked Kitty.  
  
Jennifer sighed. "I do - I have wanted to for so long. But now that the prospective father is, well. . ."  
  
"Me," said Hank sadly.  
  
". . . it does present a few problems. Like trying to convince a certain someone that having children is a good thing." Jennifer shot Hank a meaningful look.  
  
"Any baby would be lucky to have you for a father, Mr McCoy."  
  
Hank smiled slightly. "Thank you. But getting back to what we were talking about. There is the possibility - and the opportunity - to live somewhere other than here in the Institute."  
  
"Where?" asked Ray.  
  
"Well, you know my house was destroyed in the fire that Duncan accidentally set," began Jennifer, "but since the insurance company paid out for it to be rebuilt a while ago, the construction work was begun a while ago, and it is nearly finished. It will be finished by the time we come back from our honeymoon," she added.  
  
"And if we do want to live somewhere in Bayville other than the Institute, the option to live in Jennifer's house I open to us," added Hank.  
  
"Even with Mrs Finklestein living next door?" asked Amara, her tone disbelieving.  
  
Everyone, including Hank and Jennifer, laughed at the mention of Jennifer's nosy former - and possibly future - neighbour.  
  
"But then we are faced with the problem of the two of us living in the midst of humans," explained Hank. "And as you know, humans who are accepting like Jennifer are few and far in between. Those that do often already have a close relationship with a mutant, like Bill."  
  
"The janitor?"  
  
"That's the one. His daughter, Becky, is a mutant. She and Bill are invited to the wedding, aren't they, Hank?"  
  
"Yes. And so are a lot of the other mutants we have met during our time here at the Institute. But that's off topic. We want to know what you think about what we've just told you."  
  
The students looked at each other. "Us?" asked Kurt. "You want our opinion?"  
  
"Why else do you think that we asked you?"  
  
The students looked at each other again, unsure of what to say.  
  
Finally, Jean spoke. "We understand that it's your decision, but we would like you to stay. You're part of the family."  
  
"Well put," said Xavier, who had just been observing all that had taken place. "And this gives me the chance to put forward my suggestion. It was going to be more of a wedding present, but. . . well, you'll see."  
  
"What is it, Charles?" asked Hank.  
  
"Yeah, what is it Professor?"  
  
"As I have heard most of you at one point or another mention, there are large portions of the mansion that are not used, and just empty rooms. There is an entire wing that has remained empty since before any of you have been here, and has only been used occasionally for storage. I am offering this wing, and its rooms to Hank and Jennifer as a wedding present, to do with as they see fit, although I recommend they convert it into their own private apartment, separate from the other rooms, but still part of the mansion. This way they can have the privacy they want, but will also be on hand to help with anything that may occur. I believe there would even be enough space to raise a family there," Xavier added with a smile.  
  
"Oh, Charles," said Jennifer, "I don't know what to say."  
  
"Neither do I," added Hank.  
  
"Then say that you accept," Xavier said simply.  
  
Hank and Jennifer looked at each other. "We do," they said as one.  
  
The students broke out into cheers. 


	26. The Countdown Begins

**Regina:** I post this, just having received the most terrible of news. Bryan Singer will not return as director of X3, in favour of filming the Superman movie. Because of this, I have very little to say, except that this chapter is for you, Phoebe Holly, as I had nearly completed this chapter when I received your review.  
  
**Beauty and the Beast**  
  
_Chapter Twenty-Six: The Countdown Begins  
_  
"Wow. Seven days. Wow. That's soon. Did I say wow?"  
  
"Perhaps once or twice, Kitty."  
  
"Well, I still can't believe that the wedding is in seven days. That's, like, a week!"  
  
"Really?" asked Hank. "I did not know that."  
  
Jennifer swatted him. "Don't be mean. She's excited. If she wasn't excited enough for the two of us, I don't know what I would be like." She looked at her watch. "They're late."  
  
"Who's late?" asked Kitty.  
  
"Oh, the. . .um . . . the dressmakers. They said that the bridesmaids dresses would be here half an hour ago."  
  
The decision as to who would be the bridesmaids and the groomsmen had been settled two days after Xavier's offer of an apartment to Hank and Jennifer. Hank had gone first and asked Xavier to be the best man, but he respectfully declined, suggesting the students might be better, and would love to be involved. Hank had then asked Logan - that was a no, straight out. And then everyone was surprised when Hank asked Bobby to be his best man. Scott and Kurt had been named the other groomsmen.  
  
Jennifer had had it easier, in a way. Having seen that Kitty was an efficient bridesmaid - and she had, of course, been instrumental in getting Hank and Jennifer together - Jennifer had named Kitty chief bridesmaid. Jean and Rogue were later named the other two bridesmaids. Jennifer had would have liked to have had all of the girls as bridesmaids, but, as Hank and Jennifer herself had pointed out, there would be hardly anyone else to invite.  
  
The ring of the doorbell caused Hank and Jennifer to jump up. "What?" asked Kitty. "What is it?"  
  
Hank and Jennifer looked at each other. "Come with us, and you'll find out."  
  
X X X  
  
Sam was the poor soul who flung over the door, and was immediately bowled over by the group of people who entered the mansion excitedly. True to form, his power kicked in, and he went flying, nearly taking out Bobby and Roberto, who had just entered the foyer, in the process.  
  
"Oh, hey Mr McCoy, Ms Reed," Sam called as he went flying into the next room.  
  
"Such a polite boy," Jennifer commented as she, Hank and Kitty entered the foyer as well.  
  
The first thing the three of them saw was Bobby and Roberto, standing like statues in the entrance, staring at the new arrivals. Although they were lost for words, Kitty wasn't.  
  
"Rahne?!" she squealed. "Jubilee?! Is it you?!" But they did not get the chance to respond, as Kitty let out another scream of excitement and raced forward, knocking down Bobby and Roberto in the process. In her excitement, she had not bothered to phase through the two, and instead had barrelled them down.  
  
Reaching the two, she hugged them both, and started bouncing up and down with excitement. Rahne and Jubilee looked at each other, confused, then shrugged their shoulders and joined in the bouncing.  
  
All of the noise had brought the other students out. Amara and Tabitha immediately joined in with the bouncing, while Ray looked at them all, wondering what all the girls were on. Jean and Scott watched them all with slight smiles on their faces, and Jamie raced forward and joined the girls in the group, doing his own strange dance, which the girls quickly noticed, and all copied.  
  
"Whose idea was it to bring them in for the wedding?" asked Rogue, who had taken Kitty's place next to Hank and Jennifer.  
  
"Mine," said Hank, "although it was Professor Xavier who made it all possible. He got in contact with all of the people we wished to invite, but had no real means of contacting."  
  
"Like who?" asked Kurt, who had teleported at Hank's elbow in time to hear the beginning of the conversation. "Anyone we'd know?"  
  
Hank chuckled. "Yes, you know them. But it's going to be a surprise. But I think Rahne and Jubilee arriving now is enough for now."  
  
"Rahne and -" Kurt had not noticed what was going on at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh!" he said, then disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing where the group of girls and Jamie were still jumping about and squealing with excitement.  
  
"Do you think we should go and say something to the boys?" Jennifer asked Hank, her voice a whisper, as she gestured to Bobby and Roberto, who were still standing there like statues. Although it seemed that Roberto was coming out of his state of shock at seeing Rahne and Jubilee.  
  
"No," Hank said with a smile. "Leave them be. Let them get used to the idea."  
  
"I think it's cute," Jennifer replied. She was about to reply to the look that Hank gave her, when the clock chimed. It was dinner time, and all of the students, even the recent arrivals, knew it. They all raced to the dining room, leaving the adults to get there at their own pace.  
  
Several minutes later, Bobby, blinked twice, and looked around. Then he shook his head. "Where'd everyone go? I swear Jubilee was here." Then he shrugged his shoulders, looked at his watch, and joined the others for dinner.  
  
X X X  
  
Kitty smoothed out her bridesmaid's dress for the fifteenth time.  
  
"Would you stop doing that?" asked Rogue, who had hung hers up without any fuss whatsoever. "If you keep doing that, it will fall apart at the wedding if you're not careful."  
  
"I'm sorry," said Kitty. "It's just - I wish I was getting married." She sighed.  
  
"To who?" asked Rogue wickedly. "Lance?" She narrowly dodged the show that was thrown at her. "Well then, who?"  
  
Kitty shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just think this is all so exciting!" She got up, and taking Rogue's advice, hung the dress up in her closet.  
  
"I don't think the designer of that dress ever imagined it hanging next to a combat uniform," a laughing voice said.  
  
"Hey, Ms Reed," said Rogue. "Thanks again for the dress."  
  
"And the shoes," added Kitty.  
  
"And everything else," Rogue finished.  
  
"You're my bridesmaids, aren't you?" Jennifer asked, smiling. "Think of it as being my way of paying you back for everything."  
  
"Okay." Kitty sat back down on her bed. Then she remembered something she had been meaning to ask for a while, but for some reason hadn't. "Ms Reed?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you going to have a party?"  
  
"A party?" Jennifer echoed.  
  
"A bachelorette party!" Kitty explained excitedly.  
  
"No," Jennifer replied. "Hank and I agreed that we weren't going to do anything like that."  
  
Kitty looked at Rogue. "But the boys are having a party for him, right?" Rogue nodded. "See?!"  
  
"They are, are they?" Jennifer asked thoughtfully. "Well, it's not like they can take him out to a club somewhere, can they? Even if they were old enough."  
  
"But what are we going to do about you?"  
  
"Isn't it the bridesmaid's job to organise something like that?" Kitty nodded. "Then I leave it in your capable hands. Just remember, Kitty, I will be spending my last night as a free woman in my own home, due to that tradition of not being able to see the bride before the wedding. And that is where we are going to get ready. Although as the wedding is going to be held here, it would be easier if we just got ready here. . ." Jennifer began to trail off with that thought.  
  
Kitty jumped up. "No, you are not staying here! Do you, like, want to jinx the wedding or something?"  
  
"Of course not. But I think Hank and I have had enough bad luck to last three marriages."  
  
"Well," said Kitty, "you're still having a party, luck or no."  
  
"Thanks, Kitty," Jennifer replied. "I knew I could count on you." With that, she left.  
  
Rogue watched as Kitty picked up the phone, to begin making the preparations.  
  
"Just don't do anything that I wouldn't approve of!" called a voice.  
  
Kitty put down the phone. "Shoot!" 


	27. The Bride's Bad Luck

**Regina: **Chapter 27 of Beauty and the Beast is finally here! And we are getting even closer to the wedding! Yay! But, as Lysander said in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, 'The course of true love never did run smooth'. And Hank and Jennifer sure have had their course of bad luck. Let's just cross our fingers and hope that they don't have any more.

On my own note, I don't know how many more chapters to this or any other of my stories, as on September 11 (September 10, to those of you in the United States of America) I am going to the home of Kurt Wagner! That's right, Germany! But I have been thinking of things to do while on the trip, and as well as colouring in the X-Men colouring books that I have seen in the $2 shop, I can also work on my fanfics (I will end up taking a lot of paper home with me, though). But if you do feel like you miss me, you can go and visit one of my many sites, Randomland (Version 2, featuring the wonderful X-Men), which is 'Not new, but improved!'; Mutant High, and my Amyro site, Burning Souls. Once I come back from Germany, I am going to get stuck into my Beast website, which I am already seeking contributions for (like fanfics and fanart, as well as links). If you have anything like that, either contact me directly, or go to my Beast Yahoo! Group. All the addresses to the aforementioned sites are in my bio, so be sure to visit that after you review this chapter. Just don't expect me to reply from September 11 to October 5. And for those of you who do visit my sites, can you recommend any fanlists that I might like? It's my new addiction, see, and I love all the subjects: books, movies, relationships, characters - there's even an entire fanfiction section, with subsections like authors, stories, and topics! It's so cool!

And now that the whole shameless plug thing is over, enjoy chapter 27 of Beauty and the Beast!

**Beauty and the Beast**

_Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Bride's Bad Luck_

"Now, Hank, you must promise me, you are not to see me until I walk down that aisle tomorrow. Do you understand?"

Hank smiled, although he was reluctant to let go of Jennifer's hand. "I understand. But-"

"No buts," Jennifer told him firmly. "Until the aisle."

From the passenger seat of Jennifer's car, Kitty called, "Is it really an aisle? I mean, you're not getting married in a church, but in the backyard."

"Actually the aisle is the bit that runs around the outside edge of a church," Hank replied.

"You're absolutely right. But you are not going to use that as an excuse to keep holding my hand. You have until we're both old and grey to do that." A small laugh escaped Jennifer's lips.

"You're picturing him all grey, aren't you?" called Tabitha, who was sitting in the backseat.

"Of course she is," Kitty retorted. "Isn't it romantic, growing old together?" She let out a sigh just thinking about it.

Hank, on the other hand, seemed less than thrilled at the prospect of going grey. "To you, maybe, but you will think differently when it's you that's facing it."

But Kitty was unconcerned. "Whatever, Mr McCoy. Just know that the sooner you let go of her hand, the sooner you will be on the wonderful journey that is marriage."

Jennifer muttered to Hank, so that Kitty would not here, "She's going to be terribly disappointed one day, having expectations like that."

The horn suddenly honked. "Hey!" shouted Tabitha, who had leant forward over Kitty to honk the horn. "Break it up you two! And save it for the honeymoon!"

"I think she wants us to get going," Jennifer said smiling. Hank finally let go of her hand. She then leant forward and whispered something in his ear.

Hank laughed, and replied quietly, "I don't think Charles would ever let that happen. But if he did, then I really don't know him at all." He gave Jennifer one final kiss, told her that he loved her, and said, "Until tomorrow."

She smiled back at him, and replied with, "'Parting is such sweet sorrow.'" With that, she got into the car (causing Tabitha to go, "Finally!") and drove away, leaving Hank to once again marvel at his own good fortune to have found someone like her.

X X X

Unfortunately, the whole bachelorette party idea did not go as Tabitha would have wished it. For one, there was no stripper (although Tabitha said she knew someone who would be willing to take his clothes for the attentions of several girls - money would have been a bonus - and even offered to call him, saying that he would be there before any of them could blink), and two, it was not very exciting anyway (of course, Jennifer had told her that she was going to a bachelorette party for a woman whose life, until a few months ago, had revolved solely around work, and had been a very quiet - boring, Tabitha translated - individual all through her life).

So it pretty much turned into a slumber party with a seemingly endless supply of popcorn, and a steady stream of DVDs on the television chosen by the girls (with Tabitha's idea of romantic was different from everybody else's. "What do you mean? Of course 'Die Hard' is romantic! Isn't that his wife stuck in there?"), ranging from romantic ('Romeo and Juliet' and 'Never Been Kissed') through to comedy ('Shrek' and 'Shanghai Knights') and ending in the 'babe-fests', as the girls called them (all of 'The Lord of Rings') leaving them sighing after their favourite characters, while in the next breath arguing with their neighbour about their choice.

"What's wrong with Legolas' hair?"

"Eomer wears a horse for a helmet!"

"Hey, where's the bit where you see their butts as they roll down the hill?"

"Isn't that part of the drinking game?"

Jennifer decided it would be a good time to intervene. "I think that's enough for one night. You can watch the rest of the DVDs another time. And as for the drinking game, Tabitha, that can wait until you're older."

"Spoilsport."

"Well, I think it's time to go to bed," Jennifer added hastily, "unless you want to fall asleep in the middle of the whole thing." When no one said anything, she said, "Please tell me that you don't."

"Of course we don't," replied Jean. "And that is why we are all going to go to sleep right now."

"You can go now," added Kitty smiling. "You need to get some sleep."

"Especially as you won't be getting any tomorrow night," interrupted Tabitha, a grin on her face. "Isn't that right Ms – hey! Why did you throw that pillow at me?"

"Goodnight, girls," Jennifer said firmly.

"Goodnight, Ms Reed," they chorused back (all except for Tabitha, who was still scowling over the pillow incident).

As Jennifer disappeared up the stairs, and the lights went out, one voice could still be heard floating around in the darkness."

"I still say Eomer has a horse for a helmet."

X X X

"Are you sure this will be all right?"

"Don't worry, Rogue. I paid my way through college doing stuff like this. Your make-up will look fine."

"That's not what I was worried about," Rogue replied, trying to think of a way out of this mess.

Jennifer smiled. "I know you're thinking about your power. But you have already supplied me with a way around that."

"You have?"

Still smiling, Jennifer reached down, and picked up one of Rogue's gloved hands. "Now will you just let me get on with this? I still have my own to do."

"All right," Rogue said reluctantly. "Just don't make me look too much like Kitty."

"Hey!"

But Rogue's fears were misplaced, and the finished product was something that caused all of the girls to clap their hands.

The dress that Jennifer had brought for Rogue to wear was a lighter green than what Rogue would have liked, but even she had to admit that it suited her. And what Jennifer had done with her make-up. . . well, even Rogue had to agree that she was good.

Gone was the heavy eyeshadow and dark lipstick, instead the hardly-seen, and the 'real' Rogue stood in her place, with the make-up carefully emphasising her natural beauty.

And her hair hung in loose curls around her face, but it did not hide the smile that she was wearing.

"Whoa, Ms R," said Tabitha. "You are good." Then she whistled. "I never would have thought that Rogue could look. . . normal."

"I must say," replied Jennifer, taking a step back and looking at Rogue, "that that must be my finest work. It's good to know that I haven't lost my touch."

"You surprise us more and more every day, Ms Reed."

"Thank you, Jean. Now, who's next?"

"Me! Me!"

X X X

"Well, Ms Reed, are you ready?"

Jennifer gave a nervous smile. "You're going to have to start calling me something else from now on, I think."

"Well, don't worry about that right now," said Kitty encouragingly. "Just get through today, and we'll call you whatever you want."

"As long as it's. . . never mind," added Tabitha.

"Hey! The limos are here!"

"How did you organise a limo to take you to your wedding to a mutant, and where all the guests are mutants as well?"

"Professor Xavier used his. . . influence. . . to help a few things along more smoothly."

"Ah. Well, we'd better get going. To matrimony, and beyond!"

"Whatever, Tabitha."

There were two limos. One was for the bridesmaids and the other girls, and the second was for Jennifer to arrive in alone. Bouncing and giggling, the girls got into their limo, and with Jennifer waving them off, they drove away. It was then that Jennifer took one final deep breath, and got into the limo that would take her to her future husband.

After a short period of driving, Jennifer noticed something was odd.

"Excuse me, but perhaps you should have taken that left?"

There was no answer, and the limo kept driving along the road which, Jennifer realised with horror, would take her further and further away from the Institute.

"Excuse me, but you seem to have gone the wrong way."

"Wrong way?" asked a voice from the front seat, which made Jennifer's heart sink. "I know exactly where I am going." The limo stopped at the red light, and the driver, as well as the person in the front passenger seat. "Don't you think so, Ms Reed?"

Lance Alvers and Pietro Maximoff grinned at the fear-stricken bride in the backseat, before driving off in the direction of the Brotherhood's house.


End file.
